


Side Quest

by InfiniteInMystery



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Action/Adventure, Almost Romance, An unimportant OC who may or may not end up murdered, Angst, Attempted, Because missing Vincent is apparently totally a thing, Canon Compliant, Eventual Fluff, Game Spoilers, Humor, I am pretty sure it's called a slow burn where you almost do Thing but you don't quite do the Thing, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Monsters, Multi, Murder, Mystery, No Idea, Non-descriptive, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Indulgent, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spoilers, What Have I Done, like if you squint - Freeform, monster hunting, one of those relationships is totally one sided, pre-Dirge of Cerberus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-17 04:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14180394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteInMystery/pseuds/InfiniteInMystery
Summary: Their adventure went exactly as it should; they traveled the world and helped those in need along the way. Had strengthened friendships, new and old. They spent way too much time breeding Chocobos to go and get the Knights of the Realm materia, all of its usefulness and power at their disposal. They beat the Ultimate Weapon and ripped Shinra's claws out of the dying planet. They defeated Jenova/Sephiroth in the Northern Cave, stopped the meteor from obliterating everything, and lived to see the world heal. They did it all.All except one thing:Opening Vincent Valentine's coffin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'ed. If you notice anything super weird/need me to update my tags, feel free to message me. Update times will be... perhaps sporadic? Who knows.
> 
> Also. Keep an eye on those tags. I have a general idea where this is going, but general ideas tend to get out of hand sometimes. ;) If anything becomes severe, will be added into the warning tags.

In all honesty, Cloud just wanted to run his little delivery business and mind his own business. He didn't want people calling his phone twenty-four-seven – it was a secret talent, he decided, his ability to miss _every single_ call even when the PHS was in his hand. He didn't want to do any errands unless it was for Tifa, and he especially didn't want to leave Edge for any reason besides a long vacation to Costa Del Sol.

And that was why he sighed heavily, eyes casting towards the sky. “Not interested.” Cloud said into the phone pressed against his ear.

He was sitting on an idling Fenrir out front of a sweet smelling bakery, one of the few good scents to be found in Edge. The sun was lowering in the sky, the breeze cooling as it combed through his fine hair. His goggles were still on his face and the engine of the motorcycle was still purring beneath him, the hum of the engine familiar and comforting.

Familiar and comforting, unlike Reeve calling him out of the blue and asking if Cloud was interested in a side job. It was that once in a lifetime moment when Cloud had actually answered a call, and whatever Reeve wanted, he had better get straight to the point and make it quick.

“This is really important.” Reeve said. His was standing in as President for the Shinra company - seeing how Rufus Shinra was still missing - and was the guy trying to organize the chaos that had befallen Midgar after Meteor. Reeve was the leader of the WRO who had made more than enough effort to work alongside Avalanche in helping the planet heal, both in the past and in the present. Cloud felt obligated to at least listen to the man's request. But just because Reeve had a deal with Barret, that didn't mean Cloud was obligated to do errands for him.

“I said I'm not interested.” Cloud said. He was about to pull the phone away from his ear and hang up, but Reeve's next words caught his attention.

“Shinra manor!” Reeve said. “I sent some men down to the Nibelheim after I got a security notification from the reactor. Something wasn't functioning like it should and the system sent a warning back to me. You know we can't just shut the reactors down without causing a catastrophe; it's not that simple. There are long, time consuming steps to take before all of the reactors can stop pulling up mako, so I've been regulating the process of the reactor's shut down to make sure everything goes smoothly and there aren't any accidental leaks or discharges as sections are powered off. It's a very particular process. So I sent some men to Nibelheim to check out what the red flag was for.”

“And?” Cloud asked. He leaned back on his bike, not seeing the point of the conversation. Hoping Reeve had some stupid errand for him, and not something important like what the man was hinting at. Cloud wouldn't mind going back to Nibelheim even though there wasn't anything there for him anymore. It was still home. But unless Reeve had a damn good reason, Cloud didn't plan on leaving Edge any time soon.

“The red flag was important, there was a leak in the main valve at the reactor, but it was dealt with within an hour.” Reeve said. “So I decided that while my men were already there, I 'd have them do some cleaning up to make the trip worth their while. Keep them busy for a few days and have something to do when they got back. I asked them to pull out all those files from the basement of Shinra manor. Thought Hojo's work might have been something worth saving, something worth going through so we can learn from our mistakes as a growing species. Guess what they found.” Reeve asked rhetorically, caught up in his own story. “There's loads of information of Sephiroth and Jenova. And mako experiments, Cloud, you should see the information this man had on mako, but I'm sure you already knew this.”

Cloud shuddered at the mere mention of the scientist, his eyes slipping closed and hiding away the gentle glow to his eyes. Cloud and the group had ventured down into the basement of Shinra manor last year after a cryptic note about a man in the basement had caught their attention. After a quick look around, rifling through old files and slowly becoming sick to his stomach, Cloud had made the decision to leave. Anyone locked down there couldn't have been alive, not after the manor had been abandoned for so long. With so many disturbing papers floating around, it had only been a matter of time until Cloud's anxiety kicked in.

The party had left and never looked back.

“But amongst the archives and mummified lab rats, we found The Body.” Reeve said.

“The Body?” Cloud asked. His heart rate suddenly picked up, eyes narrowing. _Had there been someone down there after all?_ _Did we just leave them to die?_

“Yeah. There was a man locked in a coffin in the basement of the manor. No rot or decay or anything when we popped the lid open, even though he had clearly been left there for quite some time. Years maybe.” Reeve said, his voice taking on that light tone he got when he was about to deliver the Bad News. “Anyway, I had him transported here, to HQ. We weren't sure if he was even alive because we couldn't find a pulse, so we handed him over to what's left of the Science Department. But. He's not here anymore. The coffin is empty. He disappeared.”

“What do you mean he disappeared?” Cloud asked. He could already sense the question coming, the errand. _'Can you go get Hojo's escaped science experiment, that may or may not be dangerous, please?'_ Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing shut. He just wanted to make his last delivery and then go home. _Home._

“He's not here, as of one week ago.” Reeve said. “So, I need to you go down to the Sector 5 slums to check something out. There's been two large monsters sighted over the week. The descriptions vary on the beasts, but the common color is red. The man missing from the coffin was also wearing mostly red. And black. Now, the beasts and the Coffin Man may not be related, but the timing is a little too convenient, and given that it was Hojo's lab... Regardless, there are beasts roaming down there that need to be taken care of. I just want you to go see what kind of monsters they are and report back. They haven't hurt anyone yet, but I don't want it to come to that. Once we know what's down there, we can try and capture them. Do not engage or kill. If you see a man with long black hair wearing a red cloak, please call me immediately.”

Cloud sighed, loud and drawn out. The story was absurd, but no more ludicrous than a man - enraged by his shared DNA with a calamity - rising from the dead and attempting to destroy the world, sailing the cosmos in search of some promised land. Cloud asked, “Why me?”

“Why not you?” Reeve said. He chuckled humorlessly. Uneasy. “This came out of your backyard, so it's your dog to catch. But if you want nothing to do with it, I can get a team to go down there and clean it all up.”

“Maybe I'll go check it out.” Cloud said, not committing even though they both knew Cloud would go down there and take a look. Both knew he was morbidly interested now. When to came to Shinra or Hojo or Sephiroth, it was like Cloud couldn't help but _look_ even though he _knew_ what he saw would only haunt and disturb him. “Bye. Reeve.”

“Thank you!” Reeve yelled from his end of the line, the last part getting cut out when Cloud snapped the PHS closed harder than he needed to.

Cloud Strife shoved his phone into one of the zippered pockets of his black pants, leaning back over Fenrir and sliding his goggles down over his eyes. He had one more delivery to make in record time, and then a detour on his way back home.

- 

The Sector 5 slums still had people living it, much to everyone's confusion. Why anyone would remain there had been beyond Barret, but the locals didn't seem to want to leave, even with the low-quality air and the lack of sunshine. Sure, the plate had dropped in some places during the destruction, but most of it was still intact, still blocking out the light and trapping in old, stale air. The slums weren't as bad as they had once been, but it was no Edge.

New shops had sprung up down in Sector 5, new houses and even a little school. Over the past year, the slums had been shoddily cleaned up – not much gil was going towards them, but more than before Meteor. Rufus Shinra was still MIA; Reeve doing his best with the funds at his disposal. And the man had a big heart, something the late President Shinra never had.

Grass and low shrubs had begun to grow along the rocky ground despite the harsh climate as Cloud drove by, Fenrir purring down the familiar dirt road. Cloud supposed there was enough humidity now that some of the walls had been broken down. The moisture got trapped beneath the remaining, crumbled plate and when it rained, the ground was soaked in mostly airborne chemicals, but it was water none the less. Just enough to get plant life back on its feet. With time, Cloud hoped that more than just small shrubs and hardy grass could grow.

His first stop was to Aerith's church, out of respect and habit. Fenrir rolled up to the front door with a low purr, coming to a stop. He had been visiting once or twice a month anyway, checking on the garden that never seemed to die and sitting in an old dusty pew, taking a moment just to remember. No longer to mourn his loss, but to try and remember her at her best during their travels. To thank her for her contribution to saving the world; to visit and offer his company her even though a girl so loved couldn't be lonely in the Lifestream.

This line of positive thinking had sprouted from Tifa, a slow process that marked his healing.

Cloud stepped up to the massive church door, pushing the heavy wood open with both gloved hands. The doors creaked and groaned as they swung inward, the sound loud and piercing through the quiet air. His steps echoed as he wandered in at an even pace, boots thunking hard against the old wooden floorboards.

From where he stood, the flowers looked undisturbed, blooming white and bright yellow, petals reaching towards the sky. A hint of a smile appeared on his face, the fragrance of the flowers gentle in the air. He had always felt just as at home in the church as he did in 7th Heaven, felt that good things had always come to him inside of it.

It was one of the few pleasures he allowed himself.

His approach came to a halt, one of the flowers at the very most edge of the garden catching his eye, because while it was white, it had large patches of black splotched all over it.

Cloud approached the flowerbed, kneeling down on the wood beside them. He reached a gloved hand out, gently tilting the petals of the splattered flower so that he could get a better look at it. The petals flaked in his hands, black dust staining the tips of his gloves. His eyebrows furrowed.

His fingertips drifted to his nose, the scent of old iron clouding his senses. It was black blood, a few days old. Not human and not of any old regular beast.

Standing up, Cloud looked over the nearby floorboards, checking for more. He turned, glancing over the pews, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. No blood, no trail, no explanation as to how that one flower had become spotted with blood. He moved towards the back door of the church, peeking in at collapsed floor; the missing floor boards and the rickety stairs that no longer had supports. Nothing was amiss. It didn't look like man or beast had been holed up in the church. It didn't look like anyone had been there since Cloud, the last time he had come by.

The church was completely empty besides him.

Cloud slid into one of the pews, eyes closing shut for a moment as he let out a deep breath. He had an idea as to what he was looking for – not too many living things in all of Gaia bled black. He would ask around the village after, get some information from the people. Reeve hadn't given him much in the way of description, not that Cloud had asked. He'd go visit Aerith's mother after too, maybe. Maybe grab a flower to bring back for Tifa. Maybe an extra one for Marlene.

Cloud paid his respects and left the church thirty minutes later, unaware that he had been noticed by a shadow in the rafters.

-

The town's people had nothing of importance to offer.

“It's an adolescent Behemoth, I'm telling you. It had the horns and everything.” One man said. “But it walked on two legs sometimes.”

“Not sure why these new beasts are so scary. Have you _seen_ the Hell Houses? Those are the real problem.”

“It had bat wings with a bunch of holes in it and was super angry. It might have been a vampire. Looked totally human.” A teenager said. “Flew up to the plate, is probably hiding out in the suspension up there. Gaia knows the whole plate is starting to shift. Lots of crap exposed up there now. One day, it might just all come down.”

“It's just a dog.” Another local said. “Gaia, it's just a giant dog. Maybe a Bandersnatch got in? Don't they roam just outside of Midgar? Was the same color as the common Snatch, I think.”

After several more inquires, Cloud had left with a headache and halfhearted promise to take care of the beast. Had returned to Edge several hours late with no more information than he was looking for 'a giant dog and maybe a bat'. As far as sightings went for humans, Reeve's missing Coffin Man hadn't been mentioned at all – no strangers had been spotted in the tiny, tight-knit community of Sector 5.

Tifa, sitting at the bar and nursing an amber drink, glanced over her shoulder and gave him _The Look_ the moment he walked through the front door of 7 th Heaven.

“Sorry I'm late.” 7th Heaven had already been closed for the night, suggesting that the time was somewhere in the wee hours of the morning. He hadn't meant to stay out so late, but clearly the time had escaped him again and it never ever occurred to him to check his phone. He spoke the truth. “Reeve called. Had an errand.”

“You never run errands for Reeve.” Tifa said. She was behind the bar in the next instance, rummaging through the fridge. “Come sit.”

Cloud moved slowly across the bar, taking a seat at one of the stools. He sighed as he slid the fully intact Fusion Blade from his back, resting it atop the bar to avoid damaging the point. The Fusion Sword would be over-kill fighting down in the slums, six different blades unnecessary for taking out low level menaces. “Is Denzel sleeping?”

“Yes. Marlene is here too, having a sleep over. Barret just left a couple of hours ago. Cid called, not sure what for.” Tifa said, pulling out a glass containing a pink drink. It was thick like a smoothie – was most likely a smoothie Tifa had packed with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, seeing how Cloud didn't really consume much throughout the course of the day. It was Tifa's way of making sure Cloud got enough nutrition, especially when he was out all night.

She procured a straw from beneath the bar and stuck it into the drink, sliding it across the counter to him. “Here.”

“Thanks.” He said. Appeasing Tifa was much easier than fighting with Tifa, especially when it came to taking proper care of himself. He reached for the glass, pulling it close, one hand touching the straw and stirring the smoothie within absently. He would continue to fiddle with it, maybe even drink half. Tifa wouldn't complain as long as he made an effort. “I think...”

Tifa leaned against the bar, waiting for him. Knowing that sometimes it took him time to figure out what he needed to say. She remained silent and didn't try to prompt him. Had always been patient with him, too good for him. Her eyes lingered affectionately and Cloud took an interest in the dark flecks within the smoothie, blended berries reminding him suddenly of the black blood dripped over the white flower.

“There's a monster or two down in the slums.” Cloud said. Tifa stood up in alarm, the small smile gone from her face. Cloud held up a hand, signaling that he wasn't quite done. “I think this whole situation could have been avoided if we had been more thorough a year back. Reeve's story... Tifa. We made a mistake.”

“What?”

“I'll explain everything, but I think you should call Barret over too. This is something he should also know.” Cloud said. He wouldn't ask for their help, but he knew they would offer. “We need to clean this up before they hurt someone.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:
> 
> Barret's language. It's expressive and colorful.

Tifa had suggested to wait for morning to call Barret. She had known that the two of them would rush down to Sector 5 together as soon as possible, wouldn't waste any time sleeping or eating. Not when people were in danger, and not when Reeve called directly to deliver the news. There hadn't been any _major_ monster problems around or in Midgar since Meteor, and if anyone were to know about threats to public safety, it would be Reeve.

By the time Barret arrived late and Cloud was done relaying what Reeve had told him, it was almost noon.

The kids had taken off to the concrete park not too long after Barret had arrived, leaving the three adults huddled in a booth. Tifa had a mug of green tea warming between her hands where she sat beside Cloud, staring at the drink contemplatively. Barret had remained eerily silent through Cloud's story, not interrupting at every chance he got like usual. The fingers of his left hand were drumming on the table top.

“So. You sayin' a year ago we left a guy locked in a coffin, and now he's down in the slums fuckin' shit up?” Barret asked in summary. His fingers were still drumming, expression grim with a thick line creasing down the middle of his forehead between his furrowed brows.

“According to Reeve, maybe.” Cloud said. “We're not sure if the monsters are connected to the man. If you want to come with me, feel free.” It was as close as Cloud would get to asking for help; would go down into the slums by himself and fight a King Behemoth if he had to. “We're going to treat it as a monster hunt and a search and rescue.”

“This ain't no fuckin' errand.” Barret said, left fist slamming onto the table, jostling Tifa's tea. “This a God damn mission! Why'd Reeve call you and not me?”

“Because Cloud is the errand boy, and you're the mission boy.” Tifa said. Her voice was calm as she picked up her mug, her russet eyes glowing in excitement. There was a small, exhilarated smile on her face. “Reeve posed it as an errand: go down to the slums and find out what's going on. Cloud decided it was a mission, so we called you.”

“It came out of Shinra manor.” Cloud said. “Nibelheim. Maybe he thought I knew something about it that he didn't, or maybe he's keeping it secret.”

“Fuck.” Barret said, jumping out of the booth, eager as he was angry. “Well let's go! We ain't got all day.”

“Right.” Tifa said, finishing off her tea in one go and getting up to put the mug back behind the bar. She had a bounce in her step that Cloud hadn't seen in a while, her black duster swaying back and forth as she skipped to the counter. The last time Cloud had seen her so excited was when he had brought Denzel home, dirty and distrusting of everyone.

Tifa continued, “I'm sure it won't be hard, tracking the monsters down with the three of us. Or the man, for that matter. We could potentially have this all sorted out within the day. It'll be fun. A group exercise, of sorts.” She came back over to the group, a pair of gloves sticking out her pocket. Cloud recognized them as her Premium Hearts.

“I'm not sure how easy this will be.” Cloud said, slowly sliding out of the booth after Tifa. He wasn't worried about them, but he felt like it still needed to be said. “The locals last night were talking about a Behemoth or a Bandersnatch wandering around. I didn't get too much information because it was late, but Reeve doesn't want us to kill anything. Just collect information and report it.”

“Can't miss somethin' that big in the slums.” Barret said. “The suspicious man might be hard to find, but the beasts? Nah. Somethin' that big can't hide. The slums ain't got much space.”

Cloud only shrugged, standing up. He had been dressed and ready to go since he had gotten up that morning, had been ready to go and sort this all out since he had gotten home last night. “Let me grab my sword.”

-

“Nah, haven't seen anything since yesterday.” A older man said. They were in Wall Market, Cloud trying his best to push out bad old memories of the place. They had steered clear of the Honey Bee Inn – thank Gaia.

They had stopped in Sector 5 and asked just about everyone for information again; the monsters they were hunting nowhere to be seen. The villagers had nothing new to report since the night before; the owner of the Weapons shop suggesting they track down a man with a golden eye-patch over in Wall Market.

“Been no disturbances around here today. Mighty quiet.” The man with the eye-patch said. “The beasts haven't hurt a soul from what I hear. The one beast is going back between 5 and here. Up by the Don's place, the wall fell down to Sector 4 which now connects to Edge. Maybe the beast's going outside for somethin'. Food.”

“What kinda monster are we talkin' 'bout?” Barret asked, arms crossed over his chest. While many people had heard the rumors and knew about the beasts, few had actually seen them. “We talkin' big, small?”

“Which one?” The man laughed. Out of all the people Cloud had talked to, this man seemed the least concerned about the beasts roaming around. “The winged one up in the rafters, or the wolf-like one prowling the streets? I've seen the wolf one all over the place. Everyone has. The demon was only spotted once in Sector 5; only one guy saw it real close. Say, you might want to go into the restaurant, talk to Ben with the straw hat. He says they're pretty big. Bigger than even you.”

“Bigger than even me?” Barret asked.

“What color?” Cloud asked. Reeve hadn't been sure there was a connection between the monsters and the man. Cloud was starting to think there was no connection at all. What was the likely-hood they were all prowling around in red cloaks?

“The wolf one is white, got some blond on him too. Saw him here and there yesterday. He likes to travel, that one. The one in the rafters got mostly red on him. Big red wings. Never seen nothing like it. Saw him that once from afar like a handful of other people, and that was it.” The man shrugged. “They haven't hurt nobody, but can't say it will stay like that.”

“Thanks for your time.” Tifa said, smiling. “You've been a great help. We'll go talk to Ben in the restaurant.” She touched Cloud's arm before she turned away, the smile still present on her face. Cloud followed after her, giving the man a nod and considering what had been said. If anything, they had more questions now than answers.

Wall Market was surprisingly crowded for an afternoon, forcing Cloud's small group to slip through the town in single file. They were lost in thought until they hit the restaurant, the three of them entering the loud building and snapping to attention to scan the full bar and crowded tables. It didn't take long to spot a man in a straw hat, sitting by himself at a table for two, staring into his drink like it was speaking to him.

Barret led the way, noisily pulling out the free chair and dropping into it heavily while Cloud and Tifa stood to the side of the table. Barret crossed his arms, the man in the straw hat not even glancing up from his beer.

 _It's only two in the afternoon._ Cloud thought, amused.

“Hey you!” Barret said, voice raised to be heard over the crowd. “You Ben?”

“That's me.” The man said, taking a sip of his beer. Ben's hooded eyes were cloudy; bored and distant. He slurred, but didn't seem drunk quite yet. “What you kids need?”

“Someone told us you saw them new beasts roamin' 'round up close.” Barret said, straight to the point. “Know where they hidin' out?”

“Yeah. The story is crazy though.” Ben said, taking another sip. “Might not believe me. They're hidin' down in Sector 5. By that church. I saw 'em myself.”

“The church?” Cloud asked. There hadn't been any signs of a disturbance the day before, besides the one flower speckled with blood. Now that he thought about it, the black blood could have been from the alleged demon. Bandersnatchs bled red, that much he knew for certain.

“Yeah.” Ben said. “Was on my way to the village to see my little girl at the ex-wife's, when I heard a screech. Went down to check it out, and there were two of them Bandersantch lookin' things. They were fightin' it out by the church. Snuck up real close and watched 'em duke it. The Behemoth one fled inside, and then the Bandersnatch lookin' one made chase. Not too long later, that winged demon came out and chased the Bandersnatch off.”

“What?” Cloud asked, not following.

“Can you describe each monster?” Tifa asked, politely. She moved closer, one hand on the table so she could lean against it. She made direct eye contact, Ben getting a little more rosy in the cheeks. “We're hunting them, but we need to know what they look like and where they're hiding. You're saying there are _three_ monsters?”

“Bounty hunters? Good luck, if the beasts are even still around.” Ben said. “They looked like Bandersnatchs, the two of 'em.”

“Yeah, we got that.” Barret said. He smacked the table with his left fist. “Bandersnatchs this and Behemoths that. That's all I've heard down 'ere so far!”

“Well, no one knows what they are. One of them was the typical sandy color of a Bandersnatch.” Ben said. “They might be a new species of Bandersnatch, or a sub species of Behemoth.”

“If you say Bandersnatch one more time...” Barret said, voice low and threatening.

Ben only smiled, continuing on with his story. “The other was darker, blue-gray, like a pale Behemoth. They're pretty big. Had horns on their heads, but they also had that furry mane around their neck. Real confusin'.” Ben took a sip, sighing. “The sandy one was bigger, meaner, chased the darker one off. But then that _thing_ came out of the church. The demon. Got a chunk torn out of the mean one and sent it packin'. The one with the wings flew through a hole in the church roof after, and that was it. I didn' dare go in after it. You folks best watch yourself too.”

“Aerith's church.” Cloud whispered, suddenly remembering the hole he had personally made when he had fallen through the roof. _Is that how the blood got_ _on the flower_ _? Dripped from the roof?_

“Thank you for your time.” Tifa said politely, standing up straight and patting Cloud's arm to signal their leave. “We're going to go take a look.”

“Wait.” Ben said, leaning forward in his seat. The group stopped, Ben hesitating to continue. “Be careful. I also saw a man over there with a gun. A stranger. He don't live here and I know that for fact.”

“A man?” Barret asked, disbelief laced in his tone. “With a gun? Three monsters and a man with a gun out in a church? Are you fuckin' with me?”

“On my way home after seein' my girl.” Ben clarified. “I went to go take a peek, curious ya know? And there was a man dressed in red sitting in front of the church on the rubble. He was just… staring. Staring at the gun in his hand. Accidentally kicked a rock, made some noise, and just like that he was gone. Melted into the shadows. Real spooky.”

Cloud stared at the man hard, trying to see the lie in his messy story. He remembered another detail. “Did the man have long black hair?”

“Yeah. Real long.” Ben said. “I haven't seen any of the creatures yet today. Think he might'a been a hunter, might have gotten them before you if we're lucky. Just be careful.”

The story was ridiculous, indeed.

-

“So. Lemme get this straight.” Barret said as they made the walk from Wall Market back into Sector 5. Cloud sighed in preparation for the outburst, and Tifa was already smiling in amusement. There would be no stopping Barret, but it was better for the gunman to let it all out. “A guy who looked dead escaped a coffin that was locked in the fuckin' Science Department of Shinra, escaped Shinra HQ and their fuckin' tight ass security without bein' seen, and is now livin' down 'ere in the slums with three monsters in Aerith's old church?”

Tifa stifled a laugh against the back of her hand. Cloud only hummed in acknowledgment as they passed the playground just outside of Wall Market. No one spared a second glance at the wreckage that had once been the entrance to Sector 7.

“What the fuck.” Barret said, kicking at the nearest rock. “How does this make any sense at all? Someone's gotta be lyin'!”

“We're going to find out what's going on.” Tifa said, dropping her hand from her mouth and smiling at Barret. She looked like she was having fun, which was enough to bring a small quirk to Cloud's lips. He was glad he had brought them along. It was one of those crazy adventures again, just like old times. Took a man's mind away from his inner thoughts. Cloud hadn't realized how much he missed it, walking down dirt paths with his two closest friends and his sword slung across his back. It was familiar and comforting.

“It's all going to make sense. It's probably not as confusing as it sounds.” Tifa said. “Maybe the man just has loyal pets that followed him here from Nibelheim.”

“No.” Cloud said, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black pants. His eyes were trained on the dirt path. “There was black blood yesterday at the church.”

Tifa and Barret whipped their heads in Cloud's direction, suddenly giving him their full attention. Cloud didn't notice, too busy staring at his boots as he walked, thinking hard. He was trying to piece all of the information together around the missing details. Something wasn't adding up. Could the man in red be a summoner? Were the beasts his familiars? While rare, it wasn’t unheard of.

Cloud continued to speak. “There was black blood on a flower, and that was it.”

“Black blood?” Tifa asked, voice lowering.

“Yeah.” Cloud said. “We should take a look once we get there. If they're all living in the church, there's got to be signs.”

The walk to the church was done in companionable silence. The air was stuffy and humid the closer they got, adding to Barret's irritation and the constant rolling of his shoulders. They passed the entrance to the small village of Sector 5, following the winding path that would eventually take them to Aerith's church. The stuffy, stale air was becoming musky, tickling Cloud's nose and making him want to sneeze. He crinkled his nose, not remembering the area around the church smelling so strange.

Just around the corner with the beautiful, looming building only partially in view, Tifa suddenly stopped. She grabbed Cloud's arm in a tight grip, halting both him and Barret. Cloud couldn't miss the muscular, tan creature that paced around the church. Black nose lifted towards the plate, it paced from one side of the church to the other, blocking the front door like a hound on patrol.

“Cloud.” Tifa suddenly whispered, drawing his attention from the wolf. She was looking up towards the roof of the church.

Cloud glanced up too, a flash of red on the roof catching his attention as it disappeared over the peak. Perhaps a cape. The wolf down below tracked the movement, its attention also focused on the roof.

“Hold yo' horses.” Barret whispered, ushering them off to the side. They ducked down behind some rubble, poking only their heads up. Barret glanced out, squinting to see in the distance. “That looks like a mother fuckin' Bandersnatch crossed with a Behemoth!”

Cloud could have laughed, but was too busy studying the peculiar creature. It was walking on all fours and looked like an oversized wolf – a little bit top heavy, with a barreled chest and low sinking hips, thighs thick and claws long – languidly pacing with its long tail swaying behind it. Its body sported medium-length fur, snow white in colour that was darkened in some patches. Its thick, short mane was pale gold, a fairer shade of blond than Cloud's own. Two white horns protruded from the beast's head, curled at the tips like a Behemoth's. But amongst it all, Cloud noticed something just as instantly as everyone else.

“It's wearin' fuckin' pants.” Barret whispered.

Torn and tattered in the legs, a pair of white jeans hugged the creature's hips, the golden tipped tail swaying back and forth from what remained of the bottom. The pant legs were shredded, the only fabric still intact was clinging to the wolf's ankles. The thighs had been obliterated, powerful muscles shifting as the creature moved, a single strip of fabric holding the two largest pieces of cloth together.

“A werewolf?” Tifa asked, glanced over to Cloud like he knew exactly what they were seeing. “Do you think he's a werewolf? Did Reeve say anything about that?”

“No?” Cloud said. “I thought werewolves were a myth?” Still staring, he watched the beast pace back and forth in front of the door, tongue lolling from its mouth. Its eyes were black and beady, focused on the roof, wet nose twitching attentively.

“What's the plan?” Barret asked, just as the beast yipped, a sharp sound that sent chills down their spines. “Spikey?”

“Just wait.” Cloud whispered. “Shush.”

The beast yipped again, halting where it stood in front of the double doors, standing tall and proud with its chest puffed out. It perked its ears up, tail raising as it stood attentively. Listening. After a few moments, the beast cocked its head to the side, an off key cackle coming from its mouth. _“Vi_ _nnnnncennnnn_ _t.”_ It called lowly, slurring the words through a jaw that could not form the syllables properly.

Cloud felt Tifa shiver beside him, her arm pressed against his. She covered her mouth with one hand, shooting him a _look_. Cloud held up one hand. _'Wait.'_

Barret swore beneath his breath, eyes glued to the scene before them. His gun arm could transform within seconds, and he had it pulled away from his body, ready at a moments notice. Tifa was sliding her gloves on, the leather quietly crackling over her knuckles.

The creature cackled again, trotting up to the front door. It glanced up to the roof, yipping, tail wagging. It suddenly started to bark, the noise loud and excited. Standing up on its hind legs, it howled, the beast still looking properly proportioned and suddenly more human in structure as it remained on two legs. It took its front paws – it had five finger-like claws, Cloud noticed, including a thumb – and slammed against the front doors of the church. The doors burst open, smashing against the wall behind them with a heavy thunk.

On the roof, another beast appeared from over the peak; dark gray, blue in the light. Black horns and silver mane, it glanced over the edge of the roof snarling. Yellow eyes glowed from within its skull, vibrant unlike the paler beast down below. A red cape was tied around its thin waist, black pants mostly intact around skinnier legs. A much longer mane flowed from its head and nape, silvery fur messily spilling over its face. It took a step closer to the edge, left paw glinting gold in the distance.

Barret swore again, glancing to Cloud. Cloud held up his hand again, watching intently. _'Wait.'_

The paler beast down below yipped again, backing away from the church doors, still standing on its hind legs. It glanced up to the roof, tongue still lolling, lips twitching slowly back into either a smile or snarl.

The beasts had a silent stand off for several minutes, the wolf down below unable to do anything to beast on the roof. Cloud intended to wait them out, a little thought in the back of his mind reminding him of the demon in the rafters. Cloud didn't want to give away their hiding spot, just in case.

The beast on the roof slowly began to lie down, ears pulled flat back against its head while it watched the beast below. The sandy one dropped back down to all fours, tongue lolling out and tail wagging. It cackled again, trotting through the open front doors into the church with an extra bounce in its steps, maintaining direct eye contact as long as it could.

The beast on the roof suddenly perked its ears up, staring down at the empty entrance. It stared intently for several moments before glancing over its shoulder like it expected the sandy beast to appear from behind. It didn’t get up, remained lying with perked ears for several moments.

“The fuck is happening?” Barret asked, glancing Cloud's way. “The fuck they doin'?”

Cloud could only shrug, watching intently. “Don't think they like each other.”

“Are we going to report to Reeve, or are we going to step in?” Tifa asked. “Big White looks like trouble. I'm worried the little one is going to fall off the roof.”

“He'll be fine.” Cloud whispered. The 'little one' didn't look very small from where Cloud was crouched, easily taller than Barret on its hind legs. But little Blue was the thinner of the two and significantly shorter than Big White.

Wasn't too often Cloud found himself caring about the well being of a wild beast, or picking favorites for that matter. Cloud smiled briefly. “Don't forget about the one with wings. Stay quiet.”

“Right.” Tifa said.

They watched as Blue remained frozen on the roof, looking back the way it had come intently. Suddenly, it moved, standing up slowly onto all four legs, it's left foreleg glittering gold. It moved off to the side, climbing the peak until it was at the highest point, disappearing on the other side.

Several moments passed, before Big White jumped out of the hole in the roof, pouncing like it had expected the other to still be there. Sniffing, it approached the spot Blue had been lying in, turning tail and following its nose up to the peak of the church.

It also disappeared out of view.

“The fuck we gonna do?” Barret asked, turning towards Cloud, voice raising above a whisper. Tifa shushed him, placing a single finger over his mouth.

“Wait and see.” Cloud said. He still whispered, glancing up towards the plate hanging about them just in case. “From the looks of it, don't think they're too interested in people, so we don't really have a reason to intervene. They haven’t attacked anyone besides each other. I don't really want to get caught up with the one with wings, where ever it is.”

“Think one was running from the other outside Midgar, saw the hole in Sector 4, and tried to hide out in here?” Tifa asked. “Is that what this is? Werewolves bullying each other?”

“Not sure.” Cloud said. “But I think we can leave. They disappeared anyway.” Cloud hesitantly stood up from where he had been crouched, Barret following immediately with his eyes glued to the roof. “I'll report this to Reeve. He wants the creatures all brought in anyway and examined. Just in case.”

A loud bark dropped Cloud and Barret back down into their hiding spot, a squeal followed by a growl echoing around the slums. Within seconds, Blue darted back over the peak of the church, bolting for the hole in the roof so that it could escape. Big White was hot on its tail, jaws open and snapping at it every step of the way. They disappeared back into the church, howling and yipping echoing from inside the building.

Their fighting reverberated through the church, barking and yipping filtering through like there were no walls to block them out. There was another yelp, more snapping and snarling, and then everything went silent.

Tifa stood up, turning to Cloud. “I need to stop them.”

Cloud and Barret both grabbed one of Tifa's hands each, dragging her back down to the ground. “You crazy?” and “Shhh!” being spoken into either ear. Tifa sighed, prying her hands from theirs. She opened her mouth, about to protest again, when Cloud slapped a hand over her mouth.

A loud screech suddenly tore through the church, the sound more haunting and deadly than any of the barking had been. One of the wolves yelped, and seconds later, Big White was tearing through the front door at a full sprint.

A red creature was right behind it like a bullet through the air, translucent red wings tucked as it careened through the entrance way and swooped down. The Demon. It crashed into Big White, sending the both of them skidding to the ground for a moment, before the Demon got flight again, legs wrapping around Big White's midsection and fingers digging into its nape. Two powerful flaps brought the struggling canine off the ground, the Demon screeching again angrily before losing its grip and dropping the white wolf.

Big White landed on all fours – barely – chest heavily hitting the ground before it took off again, black blood patches matting its fur. The Demon dropped from the air straight to the ground, landing on two golden sabatons. It shrieked, low and angry, tattered leather wings stretching to their full span; intimidating. Yellow eyes glowed from beneath a red, low wrapped headband, the tendrils of the cloth and the creatures black hair floating around its head with dangerously charged energy. It roared, hands outstretched on either side of it, the right arm clothed in black, the left glinting gold. It's chest was glowing, a cool blue pulse, as it watched Big White run off as fast as it could.

The Demon waited, watching in the distance. The Trio crouched lower, worried that the Demon had spotted them. Its face was deathly pale, the skin cracked over its cheeks. It watched for several more seconds, bared fangs disappearing behind thin lips.

Satisfied that the threat was gone, the Demon turned away, wings trailing behind it as it slowly made its way back inside the church.

Cloud's hand was still pressed to Tifa's mouth, Tifa holding onto his wrist with a death grip. The three of them shared a look, eyes wide and skin prickling. They waited an extra ten minutes before creeping out of their hiding spot, making a run for it in the direction Big White had fled.

They may have bit off more than they could chew.

-

They were back in the restaurant all the way in Wall Market, sitting at a table for four. Barret took up an entire side for himself with his arm resting over the back of a chair. Tifa had a mug of tea between her hands, staring into the beverage absently. Barret had already downed three cups of coffee, and Cloud was trying his best not to fidget.

It took them almost half an hour before Cloud broke the silence. “I need to message Reeve.” He said. “About the arm.”

Tifa finally glanced up, blinking. “About what?”

“The...” Cloud swallowed, staring at his drink like it could explain what he was trying to say. What had transpired no more than an hour ago was still burned fresh in their minds. Just like the town's people, they hadn't dared venture into the church after the beast, didn't know what they were up against or even what to make of the situation.

“The gauntlet.” Cloud said. “Blue and the Demon, they both had a gauntlet on their left arm.”

“A gauntlet?” Barret asked, flagging down the waitress so he could get a refill. “Blue?”

“I'm going to message Reeve.” Cloud said, sounding a little more sure of himself this time. He sat up straighter, hands slipping into his zipped pockets to fish out his PHS. He didn't elaborate, just flipped the device open and began to furiously compose a message.

“Think the Demon's a summon?” Tifa wondered out loud. “I've never seen anything like them before, but that could explain everything. Maybe the man's a summoner?”

“No idea.” Barret mumbled. “But it can't be random.”

Cloud sighed heavily, letting his PHS clatter onto the table. “Reeve got back immediately. Said the man from the coffin had a golden plates of metal on his left arm. Couldn't verify if it was gauntlet or a prosthetic. We could be looking at a shape-shifter. He came out of... Hojo's... lab, after all. Reeve said he'd look into it.”

“A shape-shifter?” Barret asked. “So that white wolf...”

“Here's the plan.” Cloud said. Tifa leaned in closer, Barret hunching forward and slamming his elbows down on the table. Cloud clasped his gloved hands together, his voice confident. “We go back to the church, and we go inside. We're not sure if the man is a shape-shifter or a summoner, but regardless, he is just a man. The beasts can't be around twenty-four seven.”

“So we just go down there,” Barret said, “And we just barge right in?”

“It's a church.” Cloud said, leaning back in his seat and shrugging. “We can just walk right in.”

Barret didn't look convinced, dark eyes flickering over to Tifa for confirmation that Cloud wasn't out of his damned mind.

“Okay.” Tifa said, smiling. “We just walk right in.”

“'ight.” Barret mumbled. “Walk right in.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the 'implied non-con' chapter. It's so brief you might miss it, but I'm warning just in case.

Before the three of them went running off into the lair of the Demon, Tifa made a phone call back to 7th Heaven, giving Denzel specific instructions to be home before dark and that there were left overs in the fridge he and Marlene could eat. Barret had taken the phone afterward, telling Marlene to behave herself and to give Denzel a nice good smack if he did anything he shouldn't.

Cloud had given Reeve an update on their plan of action, Reeve giving them the 'all clear' to go in to the church. Reeve wanted them to bring back the man or any of the beasts, if possible.

“Are we ready?” Cloud asked, checking the time on his PHS. It was already late evening. The three of them had split up for a couple of hours, trying to squeeze any last details out of the town's people so they had a better idea what they were up against. There had been nothing left to hear.

What was going on inside of Aerith's church, no one seemed to know.

“We're ready.” Tifa said, pulling her gloves on in advanced this time, just in case they found themselves hiding behind a pile of rubble again after willingly confronting a monster or three.

“Ready.” Barret confirmed, bashing his fists together. “Let's get this over with!”

The walk back to the church was anticlimactic, all of their excitement and fighting spirit dying as they made the trek back to the church for the third time that day. They were undisturbed in their journey, and Cloud silently determined that after this trip, the three of them were going back up to the surface regardless of what they found. The monsters had been around for a week; they'd still be roaming about tomorrow. He was sick of the dirt road.

The path down to the church was walked with anticipation, the three of them sticking close and keeping an eye on the open plate hanging above them, just in case. The orange evening sunlight was filtering down through the collapsed plate, a gentle wave of rare fresh air whistling down.

Ready for a fight, they rounded the last mound of rubble with weapons raised, the church standing tall and proud just around the corner.

Cloud stopped them with his hand outstretched once they were in the direct path of the church, all three of them zeroing in on the man in red sitting outside the open front doors. He was perched on the nearest mountain of rubble, staring at nothing in particular. His face was mostly hidden by a red head band and messy black hair falling long past his shoulders. He had one knee propped up, his right elbow resting on it, his left forearm encased in a golden gauntlet at his side.

The man glanced up, spotting them in the distance as they lowered their weapons. He did not move, did not melt into the shadows like previously described. The lower half of his face was hiding in the collar of his red cloak, the cape resting around his dark clothing.

Cloud stepped up first sheathing his sword, Tifa and Barret following carefully behind. Cloud closed the distance until he was sure the man could hear him, giving him a wide berth just in case. He didn't want to spook him. “You the guy living in the church?” Cloud asked. He hadn't been prepared to talk to a stranger.

The man lifted his head, his dark eyes glittering red in the evening sunlight. His face was ghostly pale. He remained silent, so Cloud took another step forward.

“Reeve sent us.” Cloud tried, unsure if mentioning Shinra or any of its employees was a good idea. “I'm supposed to take you back to HQ, but that can be negotiated.” Cloud would prefer not handing anyone over to Shinra's Science Department. Even with Hojo dead – hopefully deader than Sephiroth – Cloud wasn't comfortable with that. Didn't trust it. But if what was sitting before him was a danger to the world, then Cloud would drag him back to the Science Department from the pits of Hell if he had to.

The man remained quite, but his eyes were focused on Cloud.

Cloud took another step closer. “Listen, you're the man from the coffin right?” One more step. “I think I should apologize. I was in Shinra manor last year. Made the call to leave before we had a chance to search every room. It's like Hojo's presence lingered.” Cloud chuckled humorlessly. “So I got us all out as fast as possible. But Reeve tells me I left you in there. And for that, I'm sorry.”

The man sitting on the rubble straightened, face raising so that his lips appeared over the collar. “Hojo?” He asked, voice low and gruff like he hadn't spoken in days. The sound churned Cloud's gut.

“Yeah, the scientist?” Cloud asked, regretting it instantly when the man visibly shuddered. It was so slight that Cloud only saw it because he had been trained to. “I wouldn't be surprised if you knew him. He's dead now.”

“Dead?” The man asked, slowly standing up, sabatons identical to those on the Demon. Cloud had a bad feeling about it, gave the man a once over. He was tall and lanky, the dusty cloak swallowing his upper body. There was a gun in a holster strapped to his right leg, a series of belts wrapping around his skinny thigh and mid section. His left hand twitched, the golden talons – polished brass? – jerking in unison. A weapon all on its own. One well placed swipe of those claws could kill.

Barret and Tifa came up behind Cloud, Tifa stepping to Cloud's side. “President Shinra is also dead, thanks to Sephiroth.” Tifa said. “Reeve is acting as President now, he's helping the planet heal after Meteor. Reeve was the one who found you in Shinra manor and brought you back. He didn't know you were still alive when he sent you to the Science Department.”

The man made an odd noise, suddenly jumped down from the rubble with a grace so fluid that it rose the fine hairs on Cloud's bare arms. The man took a step closer, only stopping when Barret moved beside Cloud protectively.

“What year is it?” The man asked.

The question caught everyone off guard. Barret recovered the fastest and answered him. Prattled off the date and year, Cloud confirming it. The man stared at them, face lowering back into the collar.

“What's your name?” Cloud asked. “I'm Cloud Strife. And this is Barret and Tifa.”

The man hesitated, shifting awkwardly. His attention drifted slightly to the side, towards one of the mounds of rubble, body going still and rigid. He looked out over the debris, frozen in place. “Vincent Valentine.” He said at length. “I have a visitor on his way. You might want to leave.”

Cloud could hear the approach off in the distance just after it was mentioned, enhanced hearing picking up the sound. With a careful look, Cloud determined that Vincent didn't have a mako glow in his eyes. Shouldn't have had better hearing than Cloud's own. Cloud shifted his posture, eyes sliding towards the sound.

“Huh?” Barret's voice was loud as he looked in the same direction. “What you mean, a visitor?”

“Let us help.” Tifa said, stepping forward, Cloud reaching out to catch her arm so she didn't approach the stranger too quickly. “We can help you!”

“You saw my visitor earlier.” Vincent said, backing away from the debris and closer to the door of the church. His right hand was ghosting over the grip of his gun, but he hesitated to draw it. “You might want to take up the same hiding spot. You do not need to put yourself at risk by staying.”

“You talkin' 'bout one of them Bandersnatchs?” Barret asked. “'Cause one of them looked mean as Hell.”

Vincent stopped his retreat, eyes landing on Barret. Cloud didn't miss the soft red glow that had sprung up in his irises, nor did he miss Vincent's amusement. “Bandersnatch?” Vincent asked. Cloud couldn't figure out why the man thought that was funny.

Big White from earlier suddenly leapt into view from behind the rubble, dropping down to the ground silently between the group, startling everybody into a readied pose. Up close, the beast was much larger on all fours than Cloud had thought, Cloud coming just below eye level. He could only imagine its height on hind legs.

Vincent was trapped on his own side closest to the church door, Cloud and his group on the other. Cloud's Fusion sword had been unsheathed, Tifa's fists raised, and Barret's gun arm whirred into formation before clicking into place, ready to fire. No more than a couple of seconds had passed, but Big White didn't bother to even turn its head their way.

“Stand back.” Vincent said, dancing a few steps away from the beast, his posture slightly curled like he was ready to run. The wolf's tail swished, brushing a little too close to Cloud and his group, the trio staggering back.

Big White's beady black eyes were focused on Vincent, golden tipped ears perking up and tail raising. Vincent remained where he stood, rigid with his right arm poised just over the grip of his gun. Cloud wrinkled his nose, that same musky scent filling the air from before, much stronger now that the beast was only a few feet away. The wolf opened its mouth, tongue lolling out as it watched carefully, taking a single step forward.

Another wave of the scent hit Cloud full on. Even Barret, without mako enhanced senses, gagged at the stench. Barret lifted a hand to his nose. Beside Cloud, Tifa was glaring at Big White, her stance deepening. “He's musking.” She said quietly, taking a step back.

“He's what?” Barret asked.

Vincent groaned, suddenly backing away as another wave of scent hit, keeling over like he had been physically struck. Big White waited patiently, lowering its head and curling to pounce like a cat.

A beastly growl erupted from Vincent's throat, the man keeling over to one knee, his gloved hand pressed to his chest. Big White shifted a step back, giving Vincent space. Cloud was a second away from giving the command to attack when a deep howl suddenly tore through Vincent’s throat, blue mako dust rising around him as his body suddenly shifted and changed, dark fur sprouting from exposed skin. Within the span of a couple of seconds, the dark beast the trio had seen earlier stood in Vincent's place, the blue wolf howling in pain before turning heel and fleeing into the church. The cape tied around his waist trailed after him like a flag, Big White charging after it like a bull.

“Take down the white one!” Cloud said, running into the church after the creatures, Tifa and Barret hot on his heels. “Subdue if possible!”

Inside the church, the pews were still sitting as they should, the beasts already snarling and barking in the back room.

Cloud was the first one to run through the back door, quickly backing out the way he had come as the two wolves smashed out of the room through the wall. Vincent was pinned on his back beneath Big White, claws raking at Big White's underside. They were snapping at each other, saliva flying through the air as they twisted and turned, snapped and clawed.

Barret, still by the church entrance, fired off a round of bullets aimed away from allies. Not even half the round caught Big White. The bullets didn't even faze it.

Vincent's metal claw swiped at the beasts face, talons catching and ripping through thick skin. Big White backed off with a howl as black liquid began to seep into its fur beneath its eye, giving Vincent only enough time to get back to his feet. Big White was pouncing on him in the next moment, forepaws wrapping around hips and knocking them both back down to the ground, Big White struggling to keep Vincent pinned as he snapped at his throat.

Barret's next round of bullets caught the white beast head on, stunning him briefly. Vincent knocked him off, snapping at his throat again, missing by a mere inch. Big White jumped back to his paws, placing himself between Vincent and Cloud, who had staggered into the corner of the church. Cloud surged forward at the beast's back, Fusion blade swinging in a wide arc, catching the wolf's hide.

Surprised by the strike, Big White lurched forward with a yelp, colliding into Vincent and sending them both careening back into the other room. There was a squeal as they slid into the hole in the floor, the wolves falling into the open basement, close quarters encouraging more snapping, scratching and fur ripping.

Cloud rushed into the back room, sword raised and looked into the basement pit. The stairs he and Aerith had used to escape the Turks way back when were long gone, smashed beneath the weight of the creatures. The stairs leading to the roof weren't fairing well either, most of the steps gone. Only the support beams remained fully intact, and even they didn't look very strong anymore. There were no barrels this time to be used as a distraction, nothing to push over from above.

There was a shrill howl, Cloud's attention returning just in time to see Big White pounce on Vincent, forepaws wrapped around hips and jaws snapping at the back of his neck. Massive teeth sunk into fur, snapping Vincent's head back and Vincent snarled, twisting viciously beneath Big White's grip. The white wolf rutted into him once, a dark, feral growl erupting from Vincent as he began to thrash harder and more savagely.

“The fuck is happenin'?” Barret yelled, rushing to Cloud's side a moment later and aiming his gun downward, hesitating to shoot as Vincent began to twist and buck, trying to throw the other wolf off of him. They were too close for a shower of bullets; half of Barret's round would mark Vincent as well.

“It's...” Tifa stood in the doorway, watching intently. Her fists were loose, shocked. “Oh Gaia.”

There was a screech from the basement, Vincent suddenly exploding into a cloud of red mako dust, Big White abruptly letting go and making a panicked leap back to the main floor. Within seconds, the black wolf was gone, replaced by an incredibly angry looking humanoid with leathery, translucent red wings, sharp teeth bared and eyes glowing yellow. It screeched, the sound piercing and savage and royally pissed off.

“Out!” Cloud yelled, Big White landing on the remaining floor boards with them after one good leap. Barret and Tifa rushed from the room, dragging Cloud after them as Big White barreled past, booking it to the front doors of the church without so much as looking back. The trio hid around the corner, backing away from the doors as far as they could get. Barret's gun was still raised, Cloud's sword slipping in his grip while Tifa stood off to the side, fists raised defensively.

A shot rang out in the church, Big White tripping in the doorway before crashing to the ground with a pained yelp. It struggled to get back up to its feet, black blood matting its right shoulder instantly.

The Demon shot from the back room, wielding a triple barreled gun, crashing into the wolf and sending them both careening out the front doors of the church. There was a scuffle outside, Big White making all the noise, while Cloud held up his hand for the three of them to remain put.

The scuffle lasted a few minutes, the sounds of barking getting further and further away. It was after the silence rung through their ears for several moments that the Demon came back inside, eyes distant and steps slow. It holstered its massive gun, eyes trained on the flowers. Its pace slowly began to falter as it approached the flower bed, balance wavering until the Demon crashed to its knees and fell face first into the floorboards. A glow of red dust rose up around him as his body began to disintegrate, only a foot or so away from the flowers

Cloud was the first to move, the first to approach with his sword still raised, as the Demon's wings disappeared into dust. The Demon slowly transformed back into a man, long black hair splayed over over a red cape. Vincent laid haphazardly on the floorboards unmoving.

“The Hell.” Barret whispered, a step behind Cloud with Tifa taking up the rear just in case. “He dead?”

Cloud stepped up to Vincent and knelt down beside him. Pulling the glove off his left hand with his teeth so he could keep his grip on his sword, just in case. Cloud carefully slid his fingers into the collar of the cloak pressing up beneath Vincent's jaw. Several moments passed in silence, Cloud taking in a deep breath. “No pulse.”

“You sure?” Barret asked, taking a step closer. He looked over the body on the floor, eyes narrowed and gun still raised. “Looks like he's breathin'.”

Cloud gave him a once over, noting the slight rise and fall of the hair fanning over his face. Cloud watched carefully, until he was sure the other man was breathing, shallowly or not. “I guess so.” Cloud pulled his hand back, standing up. He looked to the church doors, quiet for a moment, listening. “Think it'll come back?”

“No.” Tifa said, eyes glued to the church doors. “It took off and stayed away last time, right?”

“What we do now?” Barret asked, stepping away, wary now that Cloud mentioned the other beast. His gun was still raised as he approached the front door. “We take him back to Shinra?”

“No.”

Cloud glanced back down, the cape moving as Vincent struggled to get his knees under him. Tifa moved in quickly, grabbing Vincent's gloved arm and throwing it around her shoulders, helping to hoist him back to his feet. Vincent swayed dangerously, Tifa almost toppling over with him. Cloud sheathed his sword in one fluid motion and maneuvered himself underneath Vincent's left arm, helping to steady them.

“Not Shinra.” Vincent said after a moment, leaning heavily against the two of them. Cloud noticed there wasn't much weight to him at all, his body skin and bones. They dragged him over to the nearest pew, letting him sit down slowly. Cloud stood in front of Vincent, to make sure he didn't fall over, wracking his brain on what to do next.

“We can take him back to the bar.” Tifa suggested, ignoring Barret's look of horror from the other side of the church. “Let him rest. We can call Reeve and see what he wants to do.” She turned to Cloud, smiling. “Whatever you decide, you know Reeve won't argue with you.”

The front doors creaked as Barret pulled them closed, the gunman turning and heavily walking back to their little group.

Cloud remained silent, crossing his arms. He gave Vincent another once over, the man slumped into the pew but mildly alert. Vincent didn't seem injured despite the fight, his clothes looking no worse for wear than they had before. There may have been an extra hole in his cape, but Cloud couldn't be sure. He was smeared in black blood, but it didn't look like any of it was his. No open wounds.

“So the demon and the wolf, those are yours?” Cloud asked.

“They are not mine.” Vincent said. “But they do live inside of me. Chaos and Galian.”

“Chaos?” Tifa asked, sitting down beside him. She reached out to touch him, but Vincent instantly flinched away from her hand. Tifa clasped both hands in her lap, shooting Cloud a worried look.

“Chaos is...” Vincent trailed off. “Galian is harmless unprovoked.”

“Harmless.” Barret repeated as he approached. He stopped by Tifa, crossing his arms the best he could with his gun-arm. His gaze was intense. “You harmless too?”

“I am no threat to you.” Vincent said, sitting up straighter like he wasn't exhausted. “The same cannot be said for the other Galian beast.”

“The white one?” Cloud clarified. “It that just a beast, or can he transform into a person too?”

“He is human.” Vincent clarified. “I have not seen him in human form, but he speaks to me like a human hosting a Galian beast. As far as I know, we are the only two.”

“Great.” Barret said. “Two of you can turn into dogs at will. Just great.”

“Not at will.” Vincent said. He repeated the words quietly, shoulders sagging.

Cloud opened his mouth to ask, but Tifa shook her head to stop him. She knew something, had put together a puzzle piece that no one else had yet. It was a question for later, then.

“We'll take you back to the bar and I will call Reeve to report this.” Cloud decided. “If you do not wish to go back to Shinra I won't force you. Okay?”

“Understood.” Vincent said.

“No funny business.” Barret said, arms still crossed and giving the man a suspicious side glance. He gave Cloud a disproving look, but didn't voice his concerns. Yet. “I'll ship you back to the Science Department myself if you cause any trouble.”

Vincent only nodded.

-

By the time they got back, night had already fallen. Vincent was both exhausted and wary as they entered the bar, 7th Heaven smelling like lemon cleaner saturated in beer. He had always been too trusting of people who put their good foot forward and he knew it. Had never caught a break or even a stroke of good luck, and so he figured this would be no different no matter how promising the situation looked.

Cloud didn't seem like a bad guy. Looked like he had some problems of his own, but he had the support of his two friends to pick him up every day. Perhaps was too trusting of strangers, but Vincent wasn't complaining.

“Denzel and Marlene should be sleeping already.” Tifa said, voice low and quiet as she turned the lights on in the bar. Vincent followed Cloud in, Barret taking up the rear. The gunman had some serious complaints on their journey back, some serious and not ill placed concerns in regards to Vincent, the transforming stranger they had picked up only a few hours ago from the slums. Cloud had talked him down, the leader of the group calling the shots. Vincent hadn't said a word.

Barret locked the door behind them and then began to fiddle with the blinds, making sure they were all closed.

“Thanks, Barret.” Tifa said as she went behind her bar, pulling out four small glasses. She proceeded to fill them all up with ice and tap water. “Vincent, come sit.”

Vincent hesitated, waited for Cloud to sit down first. Vincent picked a stool near him, closest to the exit. Vincent sat down carefully, body aching and exhausted from the series of transformations he had been going through over the course of the week. What he had told them back in the slums had been true; he couldn't transform at will. The after-effects were a really good reason why he couldn't and shouldn't.

“I'm going to call Reeve.” Cloud said, accepting the glass of water Tifa set down in front of him. Vincent watched the way she looked at him, brown eyes soft and full of affection. Her fingers lingered on the glass until Cloud pulled it from her.

Cloud turned to Vincent, mako infused eyes glowing gently in the dimness of the bar. Vincent wondered if he had been in Soldier at one point. Wondered how a man so strong, mandatory by Shinra, could ended up sitting in Tifa's bar like a dejected puppy. “Anything you want me to tell him? Or not tell him?”

Vincent didn't answer immediately. He gently thanked Tifa for the glass of water she handed him, and tried not to flinch when Barret sat down in the only stool next to him, blocking him from the entrance. Vincent understood the man's unease, but at the same time, it irked the demon lurking in the back of his skull.

“Can Reeve be trusted?” Vincent asked, not sure he would get an honest answer. As an ex-Turk, he had spent more than enough time sorting the truth out of lies. He only worried he was out of practice.

Cloud seemed taken aback by the question, as did Tifa.

“What?” Tifa asked.

“Of course.” Cloud said immediately.

“How long were you in that coffin?” Barret asked. When Vincent didn't answer immediately, he went on. “Shinra was suckin' the life outta the planet with their mako reactors. Reeve helped us out when we all took Shinra down, even when he shouldn't have. Helped us save the world.”

“Thirty-one years.” Vincent said. It took Tifa a moment, but Cloud's jaw dropped instantly. Vincent took a long inhale through his nose, dark lashes fluttering closed. “It's been thirty-one years.”

“ _Thirty-one years with us.”_

_'Usss!'_

“In that coffin?” Barret asked, voice loud until Tifa shushed him, reminding him of the children sleeping upstairs. “What the Hell you doin' down in Shinra manor, locked in a coffin for thirty-one years!”

“Sleeping.” _Listening. Remembering. Atoning._ Vincent said, lifting the glass to his mouth and taking a tentative drink. The water was cool in his mouth, amplifying the dryness in the back of his throat, the best damn thing he had consumed in quite some time. He drank the glass embarrassingly fast, forgetting what _water_ tasted like and how good it felt to be simply hydrated. He had been doing nothing more than protecting himself for the past week from the other Galian beast, hadn't even thought about nourishment. Hadn't gotten the chance to rest. That damned Galian beast had stalked him everywhere he went. It had been in Shinra HQ; had escaped with him.

“No way you slept that long. You need food? Water? The bathroom?” Barret said, disbelieving.

“Do you want another glass?” Tifa asked, taking the empty cup from Vincent's hand. She had seen him down the contents almost desperately.

Vincent didn't want to impose on her hospitality, nor did he want to make himself sick. He tucked his face further into his collar. “No thank-you.” He said politely, hands dropping back down to his lap. He ignored Barret's questions, turning back to Cloud. “You can tell Reeve what you want.” Vincent said. “If he asks, I am not returning to him. If he is so trustworthy, you may want to mention that the Science Department has a handful of Hojo's last experiments. One of them got out.”

Cloud blinked at him, blue eyes wide. “One of Hojo's old experiments… escaped? Are you talking about the other wolf that you chased off? The Galian beast?”

“Yes.” Vincent said. “The Galian beasts are an extinct race. They used to be found in the caves surrounding Wutai.” He could have gone on with more information, but realized it wasn't necessary. Galian had told him so much that Vincent felt like a textbook. “The man harboring the Galian beast escaped the lab with me.” It was close enough to the truth that Vincent didn't feel like he was lying. “I did not see him revert back to human form.”

“Okay.” Cloud said, shrugging and pulling out his PHS. He was watching Vincent carefully as he dialed the number, blue eyes only pulling away so he could get up and pace, the phone ringing in his ears.

“ _He's observant.”_ Chaos noted dully from the back of Vincent's skull. He sounded lethargic and mildly irked. When Vincent closed his eyes, he could see Chaos curled in on himself, hiding in his own designated space of Vincent’s subconscious. The demon was sitting hunched with his wings hiding his face from view. The forced transformations had taken a lot out of him, too.

Galian whimpered dismally. Vincent opened his eyes, didn't want to look in at her. He knew what kind of stress waking up had been putting on her, knew what the other Galian beast wanted. Vincent sighed.

“Don't worry about Reeve. If you don't want to go back, he won't force you.” Tifa said, offering him a kind smile. She was good at that, putting people at ease. Cloud hoped it would be enough. “He's a good guy. He probably doesn't even know about the experiments. Can't imagine he'll be too happy to hear about them. He'd been trying to get President Shinra to change his ways from the beginning, years back when the world was going to shit.”

“He'll help you out.” Barret said, voice gruff as he sighed heavily. “Don't go causin' him trouble now, or Tif' for that matter.”

“Noted.” Vincent said.

“I'll go get a room set up for you.” Tifa said, skipping towards the stairs. “You can stay the night until we figure out what you're doing. If it's been thirty-one years...” She trailed off, realizing that nothing in the world was as he remembered it. Realized that he should be somewhere in his fifties, that anyone he may have known before was either really old or dead from Meteor. “You can stay as long as you need.” Still smiling, she disappeared up the stairs, unaware that Vincent planned to disappear into the night anyway. It wasn't like he wanted to sleep – he had slept more than half his life and it had been nothing shy of terrible – he wasn't going to take a nap and risking losing another thirty.

If he stayed, it was only a matter of time before the other Galian beast sniffed him out anyway, only a matter of time before he started transforming against both his and his demons' wills.

He would be less trouble if he left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your Comments and Kudos give me Life.

“He's gone.” Tifa said. She stood behind the bar with one hand on her hip, eyes cast down to the breakfast she had made. Toast. Eggs. Sausage. Bacon crisped to the point of almost burnt. Her cooking was always fantastic and the boys always agreed, but their praise did nothing to lift her spirits. She busied herself with cleaning away the leftovers, a permanent crease in her forehead.

Cloud could tell she was disappointed, even though he had expected Vincent to be gone by morning. The man had been nothing short of flighty since they had run into him. He was being stalked by a Galian beast, had been subjected to mako, Hojo and Shinra. The only way to make a man any more sketchy was to add Sephiroth into the mix, and Cloud wasn't even sure he could rule Sephiroth out. So no, he wasn't surprised the man was gone. Just disappointed. Felt a little responsible for the mess. Even Barret looked dejected, sitting in the middle of the black velvet U-booth with an empty breakfast plate and a cup of OJ. He hadn't even liked Vincent.

Reeve was sitting across from Cloud, his smile unfaltering despite coming all the way out to Edge just to find out Vincent was nowhere to be found. He was dressed down, in a simple black button-up and dress pants. His coat had been just as nondescript, hanging up in the back closet for safe keeping. He'd only arrived a few moments ago and had gotten a cup of tea from Tifa, before discovering that Vincent had up and left in the middle of the night. Reeve had shown up alone; probably snuck out of his own company to avoid his own strict security. Was probably having the time of his life.

Reeve clasped his hands together when the miserable silence drew out for more than a few minutes. “I can't say I'm surprised.” He said, effectively catching everyone's attention. He laughed, genuinely amused, and Cloud understood, but was simultaneously confused by, the response. “I was unable to keep him in Shinra headquarters, after all, and we had him locked in both his coffin and a confinement room. It's not your fault you couldn't keep him in a building with open doors and windows. He is a free man, after all, if not an anomaly.”

“He was flighty to begin with.” Cloud mumbledwhen Tifa came to sit down at the booth, forcing Reeve to scooch over so that she could sit across from Cloud. The left overs had been packed away and she now had a mug, _Breakfast Wine_ scrawled across the white porcelain warming her hands.

Cloud mused, “He might come back. We're probably the only friendly faces he's seen since he woke up.”

“Maybe.” Barret scoffed, slamming a fist down on the table, rattling the drinks. Water spilled from Cloud's glass, splashing onto the tabletop while Reeve watched his tea dangerously slosh up the sides of his mug. “Aw Hell.” Barret said, crossing his arms and staring at the salt and pepper shakers like they could answer his unspoken questions. “What a dumbass, just up and leaving without saying anything. And after all that trouble to go get him.”

“How did he escape from Shinra, anyway?” Tifa asked, sipping at her tea, diverting the topic from 'we lost him' to 'how did you lose him in the first place'. “And there was a second Galian beast down in the slums too. Know anything about that?”

“Oh, he was down there. That's good to hear.” Reeve didn't seem surprised at the mention of the Galian beast, though Cloud hadn't said anything more than ' _We have your escaped Coffin Man. Be here by 8AM sharp.'_ in his message. Cloud arched a thin eyebrow, watching Reeve's face carefully. They hadn't explained anything yet. All Reeve knew was that they found the man in red from the coffin, but it looked like Reeve already knew more.

“Good to hear?” Tifa asked, tone stern to get an explanation, like when Denzel started up with the evasive behavior he no doubt learned from Cloud.

“I got the official report yesterday for what all escaped the 67th floor a week ago. You know the Science Department is merely a shell of its former self. Their ethics have improved significantly. A field researcher spotted the white Galian beast a few months ago and brought him in. They thought they were extinct, you know? The plan was to study him, take some samples as well as preserve DNA in the event they happen to find a female in the future that could be bred. The debate was whether or not they would collar and release him back to where he was found, for study in his natural habitat, or if they were going to place him in a local sanctuary where they could watch him more closely.” Reeve spun his mug of tea, staring down at the dark liquid contemplatively. “Guess he made the decision for them.”

“Fuckin' werewolves.” Barret said, slamming his fist down on the table again. Tifa eyed him with gentle pointedness. Barret slammed the table once more, but didn't continue swearing.

“Werewolves?” Reeve asked.

“That doesn't answer the question.” Cloud said, crossing his arms. “How did they escape?”

“We're still not sure.” Reeve said, shrugging. “Everything in the lab was released at once because someone pressed the panic button, which was no easy feat. Only three of them got out of the building, it seems. You found at least two. Good job Cloud.”

“Great.” Barret said, arms crossing. “Just fuckin' great. There's three of them on the loose now?”

“Yes.” Reeve said, taking a sip of his tea. “The man in the coffin was only on the premise for approximately three hours before all havoc broke loose, so we believe he was responsible for the disturbance and the escape of the other two subjects. I just got the official report yesterday on which specimens went missing. The white Galian beast, who calls himself Loki. The man from the coffin, and a silver dog.”

“A dog?” Barret asked, unbelieving. “Like a big-ass dog?”

“No.” Reeve said. “Like a small dog. Pointy ears. Curly little tail. One of those Shibas, I do believe.”

“What the fuck? A Shiba dog?” Barret asked, hand slamming on the table again despite Tifa's protest. “Why's this all keep getting weirder? What's next? Sephiroth's grandma?”

“A dog?” Cloud asked, voice drifting between intrigued and exasperated. “You need to find a white Galian beast, Vincent, and a Shiba dog?”

“Ah,” Reeve somehow smiled brighter, hands clapping together. “You got a name out of him? Vincent, you said? I will keep that in mind. Perhaps he's in the system, has a family he would be heading back to. And yes. Loki, Vincent, and Silver VII.”

“Silver fucking VII.” Barret said. “Are you fucked?”

“His full name is Vincent Valentine.” Cloud said. “That Galian, err, Loki, knows there's a Galian beast inside Vincent and followed him down to the slums. Vincent can shape-shift into two different creatures: a Galian beast, and a creature with wings. Seemed like Loki had a lot of interest in him.”

“The bad kind of interest.” Barret threw in.

“If you find one, you'll find the other.” Cloud said, confident. “Haven't seen any silver dogs, though.”

“Interesting. Vincent Valentine. Has a nice ring to it.” Reeve said, eyebrows scrunching for only a moment. “Loki never changed forms in the lab, otherwise there would have been a humanities issue. Unless it was just never brought to my attention. Perhaps when you find Vincent and Loki, we can make a break through on their species.”

“Vincent won't go back to the Shinra.” Barret said. “Made that clear. He wants nothin' to do with you fucks.”

“I won't force him back.” Reeve said, exactly what they had all expected. He was trusted. “We hardly got a look at him, and if I had known he was alive, the Science Department never would have taken him. I'm sure there will be no hard feelings. We honestly thought he was dead.”

“Fuckin' Shinra. This is all your fault anyway. Who locks a guy in a coffin down in a fuckin' lab and leaves him there?” Barret yelled, huffing and slamming his fist down on the table again before crossing his arms and avoiding Tifa's _look_. “And why the fuck is the dog silver? That's just askin' for trouble.”

“I will be getting details on the dog this afternoon, and I will pass them along as soon as I know.” Reeve said. “Cloud, I will contact you when I get some more information as to Vincent's whereabouts, assuming you still want to finish the job? My goal is to get Loki back into the lab to finish up his exams, and I'd like to talk to Vincent if he wants to talk to me. There's a hefty reward for the missing dog. Hopefully someone calls about it.”

Cloud nodded, waving him off and placing a hand to his forehead. A headache was blossoming at the top and back of his head. Reeve talked way too much. Cloud needed a nap even though he had only been up for a couple hours.

“And Barret, I have a job for you if you'd like it. A big job.” Reeve said. “If you feel like getting the old crew back together, this could be a good opportunity. Or you can take some of my men. Whichever suits you.”

“You're gonna have to wait.” Barret said, rolling his right shoulder. “I gotta go to Rocket Town before anything. Get my arm fixed up. She's jammin' all weird lately.”

“I can arrange for a flight there, if you wish.” Reeve said. “Wouldn't send you on a mission in anything less than mint condition. I'll get you to make a pit stop on your way back at a cave between Nibelheim and Gold Saucer. There's been a disturbance I need checked out. It might be in relation to the Lifestream. There's was a spike in radiation.”

“Lots of words but real fuckin' vague.” Barret said, slamming his right fist down on the table again, something in the prosthetic screeching upon impact. Everyone gave it a side glance, Barret scoffing and crossing his arms. “But you send me to Rocket Town and I'll stop by on my way home. Sounds like the planets bleeding again.”

Tifa glanced under the table, making sure none of the supports had cracked from Barret's temper.

“We done?” Cloud asked, eyes already closing in anticipation of sleeping his headache off.

“Yes.” Reeve said. “My business in concluded.”

 

-

 

The call came early in the morning, three days later after Cloud had just left to do a few deliveries. He was idly sitting on Fenrir just out front of that sweet smelling bakery again, his PHS pressed to his ear. He didn't say anything, just let Reeve explain the situation to him over the phone.

“Alright.” Cloud said, once Reeve was done. “I'm on it.”

He went straight back to 7th Heaven, pushing his riding goggles up into his hairline as he entered the bar, Tifa nowhere to be seen. The lights were all on, a strange sense of foreboding washing over him. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, glancing up, heart sinking in his chest at how quiet it was. He tensed, wondering if something was wrong. “Tifa?” His whole life had been spent fighting and almost losing everything he loved; he wondered if he was starting to get paranoid.

“Up here!” Tifa yelled back from the top of the stairs, presumably from the bathroom. “Got a splinter!”

Cloud relaxed visibly, taking the steps two at a time. The bathroom door was wide open, indicating that Tifa was decent, and that Cloud could go in. They lived together, but they weren't _together_ together. They had discussed _'Us'_ several times, but Cloud just always brushed it off. Something wrong with his head, it's not time, he wasn't ready, excuses, excuses.

“Reeve called.” He said, leaning against the bathroom door frame, Tifa rummaging through the supplies thy kept behind the bathroom mirror. She was still his best friend. He didn't want anything else from her, and while it wasn't fair to Tifa, she never pressed him for more than what he would give. “We're going to Kalm.”

“Did they spot Vincent?” Tifa asked, spinning around where she stood and leaning back, tweezers in her left hand. She raised her right hand, looking it over. “Didn't take him long to get there on foot.” She said, tweezers poking at the palm.

“If they didn't see him, they'd have to be blind.” Cloud said. His tone made Tifa look up. “There was a fight. Loki followed him to Kalm. There was some property damage and a lot of blood. Reeve wants us to go as soon as possible.”

Tifa plucked the splinter, glancing to Cloud in alarm. She stood up from the counter, turning around and hastily putting everything back. “Oh? Alright. Okay. Barret's not leaving until tomorrow evening, so I'll call him right now to come stay with the kids.” She said. “How long ago was the fight?”

“Last night.” Cloud said. He hesitated in the door way, waiting until Tifa turned back around to face him. “I don't think Reeve is telling us everything.”

Tifa put a hand on her hip, a little smile spreading across her lips. “When has that ever slow us down?”

Cloud sighed. “Yeah. Good point.”

“Let me go make that phone call.”

-

Barret agreed to babysit amongst a string of curses. He was mad that he couldn't come along, simply because they didn't know how long it would take to find Vincent. Barret angrily explained that if they weren't back before he left to Rocket town, he'd just take the kids on a field trip with him.

Kalm was bolstering with activity when Cloud rolled into town on Fenrir at half past two, Tifa jumping off the bike before Cloud could even come to a full stop. She had her goggles pulled down to hang around her neck immediately, running up to an older couple standing in front of the Inn. Cloud parked Fenrir at the back of the shaded parking lot, making sure it was tucked out of the way from any idiot drivers. The weather was clear and warm, but that didn't mean much.

Coming out of the parking stall, Cloud could see the damage to the town. There were holes in a few buildings, the railing to the second floor of the shopping center obliterated beyond repair. There were black smudges all along the cobblestone sidewalks; blood stains. A woman was scrubbing at a large black smear in front of her house to no avail. At least no one had been hurt.

Cloud ambled closer to Tifa, the old couple disappearing back into the Inn before he could hear what they had been talking about. Tifa spun around where she stood, rocking on her heels like she knew something Cloud didn't.

Cloud didn't take the bait. “He's not going to be here.” He said. “We should head towards the Mines.”

“Of course he's not here.” Tifa said. “But he _was_ here, and that old couple said when the two beasts left in the middle of the night, they were headed back towards Midgar.”

Cloud blinked. “There's nothing but open fields and a wasteland between here and Midgar.” He said. While the grass was growing a little thicker and greener thanks to the planet healing, it was still a field. With no trees. Or hiding places. Anywhere. And Midgar still had a desolate ring of hard-packed, infertile dirt encircling it; smaller than the year before, but a wasteland none the less. So either Vincent had already made it back to Midgar, or he had changed direction and gone to the Mines.

“Vincent's got the advantage.” Tifa said. “He doesn't have to retain Galian beast form like that other one. Maybe he's at the Chocobo farm? Or maybe he went into the mountains?”

Cloud was a second away from sighing and driving back the way they had come when a man suddenly approached them wheezing. He stumbled up to them, gasping. “You guys – bounty – hunters? You bounty hunters? You have a big sword. We don't have a monster problem, you can go home.”

 _I do indeed have a big sword_ , Cloud didn't say. “You don't have a monster problem?” Cloud asked, bemused.

“A couple of horned Kalm Fangs came into town and started tearin' into each other!” The man said, panting. Unrelateable. Cloud couldn't remember the last time he had been out of breath from running. “Town thinks we have a monster problem, but we don't. You see the alley?”

“No.” Cloud said, assuming that they 'didn't have a monster problem' because the 'horned Kalm Fangs' had left. Cloud wasn't about to tell the man the real story. “Which alley?”

“The one back behind town. Kalm's been expanding. Mostly new residential areas. The Fangs tore through the new area, I could see it from my bedroom window. I saw it all, just before dark. They smashed some fences, ripped up gardens, stuff like that.” The man said, finally catching his breath. He stood up straight, flashing yellow teeth. “But that's not what's weird.”

“Try me.” Cloud said.

“The blood was black.” The man said after a dramatic pause, aghast. Cloud and Tifa both released the breaths they had been holding. That was, by far, the most normal piece of information they had gotten so far. “And get this, they were both wearin' clothes!”

“Alright, great.” Cloud said, ready to move on. “Did you see where they went after they left town?”

The man wasn't done his story.“And they were scrappin' in my back alley, teeth snappin, claws slashin' the whole nine yards! But then the dark one body checked the light one into a dumpster and then gored him on them giant horns of his, and the light one threw up a materia.”

Cloud's mouth slightly opened. “A materia?”

“Told ya it was weird.” The man said, winking. “So he throws up the materia, right? Crumples to the ground, dark one makes sure he's dead, and then the dark one turned into a woman and disappeared. So I'm on my way to go check out the dead body right before the Lifestream can take it, but the color is all weird, and then suddenly the horned Kalm Fang is now a man. And he gets up. And he puts the materia in his pants pocket. And he disappears!”

“What color was the materia?” Tifa asked, stepping forward when Cloud couldn't wrap his head around what he was being told. “And the man? Hair color? Clothes? The woman? Where did they go?”

“Hey, twenty questions.” The man said, waggling an eyebrow at Tifa. “I've gotta better questions to ask _you_. But the materia. It was night and reflecting the orange in the sky, so it was either yellow or red. And the woman had long black hair, and was wearing lots of red. The guy was real blond, blonder than you there, with white pants and no shirt. Didn't see where they ran off to. But I'm telling you, it's not a monster problem. You kill them, it's murder.”

Cloud tapped his foot, glancing to Tifa. “Didn't that old couple say the beasts left towards Midgar?”

“Yeah.” Tifa said, staring up him contemplatively. “The old couple said they left in the middle of the night.” She turned to the man. “And you say they both turned into humans before it got dark.”

“So what happened between evening and midnight?” Cloud asked, scratching at his chin, thinking. “Was there another monster? With wings?”

The man shrugged. “I didn't see anything after that. I just know there was a bounty on them until an hour ago. They're not actually Kalm Fangs, they're shape-shifters. Came over to make sure you understood. Got worried when I saw that big sword.”

“Okay.” Cloud said, nodding at the man. “Thanks for the info.”

“No problem!” He said, winking at Tifa before heading towards the bar.

“So far, everyone has accepted the idea of werewolves.” Tifa said, hand going onto her hip.

“Werewolves aren't the weirdest thing they've seen.” Cloud said, shrugging. He stepped away from Tifa, heading towards the Inn.

“Should we go check the alley?” Tifa asked, trailing after him. “Maybe there are clues. I kind of feel like a detective right now. Detective Lockhart. Has a nice ring to it.”

“I guess.” Cloud had something he wanted to check out. _If Sephiroth had been stalking me and I killed him in an alley, what would I do next?_

“Where to, Inspector Strife?” Tifa giggled, following Cloud into the Inn. “Should we report back to Colonel Wallace?”

“Why is Barret the colonel?” Cloud asked rhetorically, heading up to the counter. He stood at the desk, fingers lightly drumming on the wood until the woman poking the fireplace noticed him standing nearby. She was older, with a green bandanna pushing her light brown hair back.

“Oh hello!” She said as soon as she spotted them. She hurried to the desk with a soft, worn smile. “Do you need a room? One bed?” She eyes Tifa, her smile including teeth.

“Actually, I have a question.” Cloud said. Tifa came up to stand beside him, smiling pleasantly and giving him her attention as well, because she had no idea what the question was. “A friend of mine came was around here yesterday. I was wondering if he checked in last night to wait for me, or if he just went straight to Edge.”

“If you have a name, I may be able to help you out.” The woman said, flipping the page in her ledger behind the desk. She glanced down to it, reading the fine script. “We only had one check in yesterday...”

“Vincent Valentine?” Cloud asked. The woman nodded.

Tifa's grin brightened as she clapped her hands together. “I'm guessing he left already? Did he say where he was going?”

The woman smiled, stiffly polite. “He had a guest show up later in the night. He checked out not too long after, just gave me the keys and left.”

“Was the visitor blond?” Tifa asked, her excitement vanishing into thin air. Her hand had gone back to her hip. Cloud was pretty sure the crease between her eyebrows was going to become permanent.

The Inn keeper shrugged. “I didn't see him come in, just heard the fighting when it started. The guest was yelling. Sounded like they were moving furniture. I was on my way up to tell them they needed to quiet down when Valentine came out and gave me the keys.”

“Oh.” Tifa said. Her voice was pinched in worry. Cloud sighed. He'd met Vincent Valentine almost twenty-four hours ago, and the man was already one hell of a handful.

“Hope they made it somewhere safe. Those Kalm Fangs left the city not ten minutes later, growling and howling the whole way out. Didn't even realize they were still in town.” She said. “Heard there's a disturbance over at the Chocobo Farm lately, might be a whole pack of them. Not sure why the bounty got taken down, they're quite the nuisance.”

“They're at the Chocobo Farm?” Cloud asked. The woman shrugged, didn't know for sure. “Alright, thanks for the info.”

“Thank you.” Tifa said too, daring to loop her arm with Cloud's as they exited the Inn, shooting the Inn keeper _look_.

Outside, Cloud placed a hand to his forehead and sighed. He had an ache at the top and back of his head again, the afternoon sun not helping. They made their way back over to Fenrir, Tifa asked, “So next stop, the Chocobo Farm?”

“The Chocobo Farm.” Cloud agreed. “And then I'm going home.”

-

Fenrir drifted into a parking stall at the Chocobo Farm, engine cut and ticking as Cloud parked it beneath the overhang full of colourful banners amongst several other vehicles. The Chocobo Farm had picked up in business and expanded after the Crisis, had started training Chocobos to dance for shows as well as renting birds. There was a Choco Chick petting area for little kids to go and play with the Chocobo chicks. A few small villages had sprung up nearby in a little cluster around the Farm, wanderers from Midgar who no longer wanted to live anywhere near plates and mako reactors. Choco Bill was on his way to owning the next best thing to Gold Saucer.

The Chocobo's started _warking_ from the pen when Cloud and Tifa approached, some of the testier ones cooing threateningly and showing off their feathers. A few looked excited to see them, while others just continued on with their own business. Cloud pushed his goggles up onto his forehead, a smile on his face.

Old Choco Bill was already out of the stalls and on his way toward them, hands shoved into the pockets of his overalls. He had a herd of employees bustling about, all of them smiling and waving politely as they passed by.

“Haven't seen you folks for some time!” Choco Bill called with a bright grin. “What brings you folks out here?”

“Heard in Kalm there was a disturbance over here.” Cloud said. “Monsters?”

“ _Ohhhh_.” Choco Bill said, glancing towards the marsh and then rolling his eyes. “Baby Zoloms. You guys killed the mother, but her eggs finally hatched. They're not a problem though, unless you want to cross the marsh on foot. Babies are slow, but twelve of them can cut you off just as fast as the mother could chase you down.”

“Twelve?” Tifa asked, eyebrows raised. “Isn't that going to be a _big_ problem when they all grow up?”

“Nah. Only a few will reach maturity, and then they'll fight each other to the death to claim the territory.” Choco Bill shrugged. “Some people are unnerved, but the babies won't hang around long enough to be killed. Hunting them down would be one hell of a job so you might as well wait until it's only one adult. You gotta get him right after he wins the fight.” It was slightly morbid, and Cloud wanted to point out the not so obvious problem of, _the planet is healing so life expectancy has probably increased since the last time there were Zolom babies._ But Cloud kept his mouth shut. Perhaps it would be a problem they could deal with later.

“You guys here for Chocobo's, to get across the marsh?” Bill asked.

“Nah, we're looking for someone.” Tifa said. “Actually thought he might be the reason for the monster rumors over here.”

“Damn monster rumors, all getting in my business. If them Zoloms are a problem, I'll let the world know, and not a day before!” Choco Bill scoffed, shaking a fist. “Anyway, you looking for that weirdo hiding out in my stalls?” Choco Bill asked. “Come this way.”

Tifa flashed Cloud a glance, a small smile tugging on her lips. 'The _weirdo_.' Cloud mouthed back to her, returning her glance with a quirked eyebrow.

The stable didn't look too much difference from before, aside from the fact that instead of there only being one stable, there were now five. It looked like Choco Bill could now house close to sixty birds, had the staff to care for them too. “He's down on the end in the stall with all the extra supplies. Said he was waiting for someone.” Bill waved them off. “I'll be around.”

Hay crunched beneath shoes as they strode across the stable, Cloud stopping at the last stall on the left and peering in. It was dark, crates and boxes stacked high, but sitting amongst them was blood red fabric and glinting gold. He would have blended into the darkness if there had been more room.

Cloud grinned. “Vincent Valentine. Fancy seeing you here.”

The man remained quiet in the shadows, arms crossed and head down. He was sitting closer to the top, right knee pulled up and left foot dangling. Could have been sleeping, if not for the faint glow of red in the darkness. Cloud was right assuming the glow was from mako.

“You can take me back to Reeve now.” His voice was low and moody. Cloud almost felt bad for him.

“I thought you didn't want to go back to Shinra?” Cloud asked, placing a hand on his hip. “Why the change of heart?”

Vincent sighed, shifting where he sat until he could drop down to the ground in a fluid motion. His stance was slouched, eyes drifting towards the ground strewn with hay. “I have no choice.” He said so low that Cloud almost missed his words.

“Loki's still following you?” Cloud asked, no dallying around the subject. “If that's the problem and you need some sort of protection against him, I think I can help.”

Vincent remained silent a moment, red eyes fluttering up. His expression gave away nothing – no minute changes in his expression, no tension of muscles. Nothing. His face was a blank sheet of paper, and Cloud found it irksome.

“I fear he'll smell me out from the other side of the planet.” Vincent finally said, shifting to cross his arms, cape swaying behind him. “I will only endanger you and your friends.”

“Nuh-uh. I'll take you back to Reeve.” Cloud said. “But once you're done talking to him, you can come with us. Barret has to go to Rocket Town, we fly out tomorrow night. There will be no trail for Loki to follow unless he has at least one wing and can pick up scents off jet streams.”

No sense of humor, this guy. Vincent only dipped his chin into his collar. It was a sign, Cloud soon learned, which meant complacency.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good luck.

They were just crossing the mountain pass between the Chocobo Farm and Kalm when Cloud smiled among the clouds of dust, thinking about how well everything had worked out. No one had been hurt by the Galian beasts yet, Vincent was accounted for and was sticking close by for the time being, and Denzel and Marlene were about to go on the adventure of a life time to Rocket town. In Cloud's opinion, the day couldn't have gone any better. It had been a little weird, but there was nothing wrong with that.

Tifa had her hands tightly wrapped around Cloud's midsection as he blew through the narrow dirt passage, a massive dust cloud trailing after them as they tried to beat the moon back home. The mountains were closing in on them, the valley between them no more than forty feet wide. Vincent was somehow defying physics on the back of Fenrir, managing not to fall off and to his imminent death. The mysterious man had been a little wary about getting on the bike in the first place; Cloud kept to the level part of the road despite Fenrir's refusal to give them a smooth ride. If Vincent got thrown off the back, Cloud was worried he would refuse to get back on and suggest something ridiculous like walking. Luckily for them, everything was going according to the hastily smashed together plan.

Everything was going well. Too well.

Fenrir suddenly roared like a struck beast, front tire lurching and veering off to the left. Cloud did his best to keep out of the ditch and from crashing off the path, the bike jumping with every roll of the front tire until they came to a dead stop in the grass, several feet from the road. The engine didn't sound like it had blown. It purred beneath them with its usual powerful rumble, drawing Cloud's attention to the only other possible reason for their sudden halt: a popped tire.

“What happened?” Tifa yelled just as Cloud cut the engine. The silence settled about them heavily, Cloud's skin prickling at the sensation of being watched. He glanced up to the mountains but couldn't make out the finer details through the shaded lens, his goggles still firmly in place on his face.

Tifa's hold on him slackened as she leaned back. “Did we pop a tire?” She sounded just as suspicious as Cloud felt. Doubted it was a random incident.

“Not sure.” Cloud said, getting off the bike to check the damage. He had ridden through the very same mountain pass many times before and had never had a problem. He had picked the most durable tires he could afford; they had gotten him home safe through worse terrain on numerous occasions, so why now?

Cloud walked to the front of the bike, placing one hand on his hip as he assessed the damage, the other shoving his goggles up into his hairline. It was indeed a popped tire, the rubber exploding from the inside of the rim suspiciously so. He knelt down to get a better look at the blow out, recalling that he had checked his tires before him and Tifa had even started Fenrir for their journey to Kalm. Cloud looked up from the mess, catching Tifa's worried glance.

Vincent was standing a few feet away from the bike with his arms crossed and cape blowing gently in the wind, looking up at the mountains they were now stranded between. His face was just as bland as it had always been, no hint of emotions or thoughts visible. It was frustrating how closed off he was, but alluring all the same.

Cloud paid his surroundings attention once again, the fine hairs rising on his arm. They were being watched, but he couldn't see from where. Cloud would bet the socks in his boots it was their unwanted Galian friend.

“Must have been one sharp rock.” Cloud commented. He doubted it had been a rock, but he didn't want to worry Tifa until he was sure his tires had been tampered with. They were relatively new and he had always made sure the pressure was right – judging from how flat the rear tire was, they had probably been tampered with while they were at the Chocobo farm.

“Don't think it was a rock.” Vincent said, glancing over his shoulder, his face hidden in his collar. His eyes were half-lidded, and Cloud already knew what he was about to say. It was like he gave off a brooding _wave,_ self-deprecating emotions suddenly clogging the air and figuratively slapping Cloud in the face. “I am endangering you. You'd best return to Kalm by foot.”

“That's nice. Then I will endanger whoever is endangering me _and_ you.” Cloud said, standing up. He glanced out to the mountains, assuming that Vincent's stalker was somewhere nearby. Vincent's only concern since he had woken up had been that Galian beast. Cloud was already sick of the other werewolf; he couldn't imagine how Vincent felt about it. Cloud asked, “Where is Loki?”

Vincent didn't answer, eyes trailing away from the mountain peaks and down to the rocky landscape nearby. Twenty feet, and they could be hiding among the rocks if they so wished. Cloud sighed when Vincent didn't answer, took the initiative to assume that Loki would appear at any moment. _I'm getting real tired of this Loki business already._

“Cloud...” Tifa whispered urgently from the back of the bike where she had remained put until now, eyes trained forward. She waved her hand, something she did to hurry him and the kids up. Cloud immediately turned around, spotting the problem instantly.

The Galian beast in question was prowling closer, head hung low to the ground as he slowly placed one massive paw ahead of each other. Dark eyes were focused as he approached within ten feet, his back to the nearest jutting mountain rock, pace coming to a halt. Vincent seemed to materialize several steps away from his original position, now on Cloud's right and shielded by the bike. His face dipped into his collar, hair gently swaying in the wind. Once again, his face didn't betray any of his thoughts or feelings.

Cloud took a step back from Loki too, but only to reach over Fenrir and pop open the compartment sheathing all of his swords. Selecting one from the six pieces, Cloud unsheathed the slim blade and made of a show of effortlessly twirling it in his hand. Holding it casually at his side, Cloud moved back to his original spot, watching the Galian beast carefully.

“Hey Loki. I know you can understand me.” Cloud said, taking a step closer. He placed a hand on his hip as he stared the beast dead on. Be it Sephiroth or a minor threat to a new friend, Cloud didn't have the patience for this anymore. “You're biting off more than you can chew.”

“Cloud.” Vincent said, tone warning.

Loki lifted his head up. Golden tipped ears perking at Cloud's voice, tail raising ever so slightly in aggression. Cloud shifted slightly so the sword glinted in the sun dangerously, the blade tilting annoyingly, sunlight flashing the beast every now and then. Loki pulled back his lips, exposing massive yellow canines. His teeth were all crooked from years of pulling and tearing, but they could still bite off a man's arm with one chomp.

Cloud's nose crinkled, a sharp smell suddenly blowing in the breeze, Loki's tail straightening “I'd suggest finding someone else to stalk.”

“Cloud.” Vincent said, quieter than before. He hadn't made a noise when he moved, but his voice sounded further away. “Just leave me.”

“He's musking.” Tifa whispered from behind, her voice clipped and angry. “That smell, he's musking again. What does he want with you, Vincent?”

“Musking?” Cloud asked, not once taking his eyes off the beast. Loki seemed to grin, lips pulling back. He did not growl. He remained where he stood, patient. Cloud clenched the grip of his sword, instinct telling him to rush the beast even though the first move hadn't been made.

Vincent groaned. “He's going to force a transformation.”

“What?”

Without delay, there was a low moan from behind them, Cloud looking over his shoulder just in time to see Vincent stumble, keeling in on himself. Blue mako dust drifted up from his body, beautifully sinister in nature. Vincent's body was already shifting, bones cracking quietly and muscles sliding out of place. A growl tore through the air as his jaw snapped and elongated, claws digging into the hard packed ground.

“Shit.” Cloud took a step back, gaze returning to Loki. He wasn't sure why Loki kept musking and forcing Vincent to change, but it was getting annoying real fast. “What are you after?” Cloud yelled, sword raised and poised, ready for the fight that was surely about to ensue. _Go for the neck._ If the information they had gotten in Kalm was accurate, then a fatal blow would change Loki back into a man. If they managed to up-heave the materia from Loki's stomach contents, perhaps they could take it from him. How much trouble could Loki cause as a human?

Loki's mouth slit open into a full mouthed smile just as a pained howl tore out from behind Cloud, signifying the completion of Vincent’s transformation into his Galian beast. Loki took a step forward, mouth opening for slurred speech. “ _Viiinnncennnnt._ ”

Tifa appeared at Cloud's side, snapping her Premium Hearts on with a glare that could kill. Her face was more scrunched than usual for battle, eyes unwavering on the beast before them. Cloud found himself momentarily distracted by her face before focusing back on Loki, the beast taking a step closer. His beady black eyes seemed to have shifted from Cloud and Tifa over to Vincent, behind them. He looked pleased. It pissed Cloud off.

“I get it.” Tifa said, fists raised. She sounded livid. “I get what he's trying to do. It all makes sense.”

“Great. What's he after?” Cloud asked. Loki growled, taking a step forward, but remaining well away. They began to circle each other, none of them quite ready to make the first move. “And how do we make him stop?”

“Not sure.” Tifa said, taking a step back to keep herself near Vincent. “But he needs to back off.”

Loki lunged forward at Vincent, the single leap clearing Cloud and Tifa. The larger Galian beast collided into the smaller, sending them crashing into Fenrir with Loki's jaws clamped around Vincent's neck. Cloud was fast to react, his Fusion sword swiping out at the beast in a wide arc and clipping his hind leg, Tifa following him up with a flying kick to the same spot. Loki howled, the two Galians knocking Fenrir away as Vincent struggled to get to his feet, Vincent lunging the second Loki let him go. His teeth snapped around fur. Cloud stepped close to sink the blade into white fur, black blood exploding from the wound and staining the area.

Loki stumbled with a yowl, losing his footing on the rocky cliff. Vincent was on the offensive, dark blue fur flying into white, the two beasts tumbling down the road in a heap of snapping jaws and swinging claws. Loki was having trouble with his back leg, but somehow snagged a hold on one of Vincent's forepaws, crushing it between his teeth until the blue Galian was yelping and trying to retreat.

Cloud approached carefully, Tifa at his side as they watched for an opening. There was too much rolling and thrashing for them to step in without either getting hurt themselves or accidentally striking Vincent.

“Wait.” Cloud said, blade raised as he kept his distance. Loki barreled into Vincent, sending the two Galians sprawling across the black stained grass, deliberately making it hard for Cloud or Tifa to get in on the fight.

A streak suddenly darted from the nearby rock protrusion, a five-pointed ninja star that faintly looked like Yuffie's Conformer slicing through the air and cutting both beasts, sending them yelping in opposite directions. Loki was the first to recover, lunging for Vincent only a foot away, but Cloud was faster. He intercepted the white beast and sunk the Fusion blade into Loki's shoulder, both hands on the hilt as Loki squealed and reared back. Tifa was quick to get a hit in, another flying kick just as Cloud wrenched the blade from the beast's shoulder. Tifa sent Loki tripping backwards where he collapsed in a heap of limbs, lips pulled back and snarling. The beast's fur was matted, black splotches striking against white fur. Vincent didn't look injured from afar, but the way he struggled to pull himself onto his feet with one paw curled in the air, said differently.

Cloud was quick to position himself between Loki and Vincent, keeping his blade raised to block Loki's path. He didn't say anything, just waited. Loki was capable of intelligence, and if he had any, the beast would retreat. If he didn't Cloud was just going to have to kill him.

“Aw man!” A shrill voice suddenly yelled, a tiny girl dancing up to Tifa's side. Yuffie looked exactly as they had left her the year before, if not an inch taller. “Why you guys always land yourselves in trouble?”

“We're not in trouble.” Cloud said, taking a step to the side with Loki to block his view from Vincent – Vincent who had gone eerily silent behind them. For such large beasts, they sure were light on their feet.

“Behind,” Yuffie said, as she danced to Cloud's side, leaving Tifa to trail after her. Yuffie whirled around with Conformer, arm swinging out to throw the star. “We fighting them Surrounded style?”

Tifa suddenly grabbed her arm to stop her from throwing the star, “He's an ally!”

Loki took the distraction as an opportunity, lunging for the girls in one swift motion. Cloud moved more on instinct than anything else, intercepting the Galian beast once again and slicing him hard enough with his Fusion blade that the beast lashed out, teeth snapping too close to Cloud's face for comfort. Black blood exploded from the wound in Loki's neck where the blade had sunk, spraying over half of Cloud's face as he struggled to keep his grip on the hilt. Loki lunged forward again, teeth just grazing Cloud's cheek when Tifa threw a punch from over his shoulder, hitting the beast square in the nose.

A dark blue blur streaked by the small group, ending the struggle before Loki could bite off Cloud's head. Vincent collided with Loki, sending the white beast down to the ground, sharp teeth tearing and pulling at the fresh wound Cloud had just landed on Loki's neck, savagely pulling the skin apart.

“That's an ally?” Yuffie yelled, star raised as she waited for an opening. “That big blue dog?”

“Yup.” Cloud said. He danced around the fighting beasts, waiting for his chance to strike. There was an odd flutter his chest that he couldn't quite decipher; either excitement or mistrust. If Vincent turned on them, Cloud would have one Hell of a job putting him down.

Vincent was tearing out fur and skin in massive chunks, Loki's left side matting more black than white. Loki managed to wiggle out of Vincent's grasps, leaving behind a trail of thick blood as he slunk away quickly. Vincent followed after him at a safe distance, teeth glistening black and bared. Loki snorted, a cackle like noise escaping him before turning tail. He limped back towards the mountain at a hurried pace and only stopped when he was back by the protruding rock-line from the mountains. The white Galian beast turned back to them, beady black eyes watching from the distance. He was smiling, muzzle stained black with Vincent's blood, but the damage to Loki's own body was extensive. He would be stupid to continue fighting.

Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie waited, watching the beast back just in case Loki had another trick up his sleeve. When Cloud was sure Loki wasn't about to come back and try and eat them, he lowered his sword slowly until the tip touched the grass. Blue eyes lingered when Loki disappeared into the rocks, Tifa's hand gently resting on his arm to pull his attention back to the present situation.

Vincent was panting beside them, the Galian beast dropped down to all threes. His shoulders heaved as he wheezed, tongue lolling and ears still perked and alert. Black blood matted his fur, though it was hard to tell whether it was all Vincent's own or partially Loki's.

“It's over.” Cloud suddenly said, breaking the tension that had settled over them. He carefully approached Vincent, reaching a hand out for the Galian's shoulder. “He's gone.”

Vincent didn't seem convinced, yellow eyes still trained on the rocky mountain edge, ears perked. He was struggling to support himself, hind legs shaking from exertion while his right paw still remained tucked under his chest. The golden gauntlet was slick with blood, teeth indents indicating that Loki had tried and failed to bite through the appendage.

Cloud only worried about how much damage there would be when Vincent reverted back into his human form.

“So… where's my explanation?” Yuffie asked. Her voice was loud and curious as she warily approached Cloud and Vincent. “When did you meet a crazy guy like him? Is he a werewolf? Is he going to be okay? Who was that other guy? Why were they fighting?”

“Later.” Cloud said. Vincent turned his face, nose accidentally bumping into Cloud's raised hand. “Meet Vincent Valentine.”

Vincent huffed out one last breath before the dusty mako energy consumed his body, blood matted fur reducing to nothing as the beast became a man once again. Cloud took a step back as the transformation begun, one hand urging Yuffie and Tifa to take a step back too. Give the guy some space.

“Oh.” Yuffie said quietly, watching as the mako dust settled quickly. Vincent stood when the Galian beast had been, eyes closed and hair floating with the remnants of mako dust. He swayed dangerously, all three of them lunging forward on instinct, but keeping their hands to themselves when Vincent didn't fall.

Yuffie was giggling. “The scraggly dog is really just a scraggly old man. Great.”

“He's not an old man.” Tifa said, hands raised but not yet reaching. Vincent raised his left hand to his forehead, eyes scrunching as the golden talons touched his bandanna.

“Vincent. Are you okay?”

Cloud stepped into Vincent's personal space to his left, hand going for his shoulder as he tried to get a good look at his face. “Are you injured still?” He asked. After the first fight in the Slums, Vincent hadn't appeared injured, hadn't complained about anything. He'd had enough energy to take off and get himself all the way to Kalm.

“Did you heal when you transformed back?” Tifa asked, her tone taking on the motherly concern that Cloud both loved and hated.

Vincent's face went paler, white turning gray, and he collapsed to his knees. He brought Cloud down with him with his left hand, golden talons catching in Cloud's sleeveless sweater but not tearing. He would have fallen flat on his face if Cloud didn't grab his shoulders, stopping Vincent from rocking dangerously side to side. He helped to steady him, Vincent's glassy eyes slowly focusing, his deep, labored breathing slowly evening out.

Cloud waited a second, waited until Vincent seemed to be coming out of his weird state.“Are you injured?” He asked, not expecting a completely honest answer.

Vincent raised his right arm, the arm Loki had clamped his teeth around and crushed, giving it a blank once over. Vincent was blinking away the bleariness, lagging from the transformation. His recovery was slower then in the Slums. “I believe I am not injured.” He said, clenching his right hand. Cloud couldn't tell if he was lying, Vincent's face didn't scrunch in pain or yield surprise at the lack of injury.

Cloud gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, a small smile on his lips. “Let me know if anything starts to hurt. I also don't think Loki will be around to bother you for a while. He left a different colour.” Unless Loki could vomit up the materia at will, Cloud wasn't sure if Loki had the same healing speed as Vincent. When the man transformed, his injuries just seemed to vanish. Or so Cloud had been lead to believe.

Vincent managed to snort, brushing Cloud's hands away and standing up without assistance. He had caught his breath, didn't sway where he stood. “Perhaps not.” He agreed. He looked significantly more tired than he had before, face somehow paler and the bags under his eyes seemingly deeper. He shifted where he stood and he looked stiff, not that Cloud was intently watching or anything.

“Thank-you.” Vincent said quietly, eyes downcast.

“No problem.” Cloud said, clapping him on the shoulder once more. Vincent's face dipped further into the collar, eyelids fluttering almost fully closed. Cloud wondered briefly if he had lied about the injuries. He decided not to ask. Yet.

“What was that all about, Mr. Vincent Valentine?” Yuffie yelled, placing a hand on her hips. She was staring directly at Vincent, who cut her a tired sideways glance before immediately looking away “You almost got eaten to death! Are you a werewolf? Was that other guy a werewolf too? You guys brothers? Having a sibling spat? Or is that the new Sephiroth? Did he come out of the Lifestream?”

“Not now.” Tifa said, trying to rein in Yuffie's curiosity. “We need to get out of here, so save your questions for later, please.”

“Oh. My Gaia.” Yuffie said, whirling on Tifa with her mouth hanging open. “That is _not_ the new Sephiroth, is it? Vincent's not the new Sephiroth, is he? I am so not dealing with another Sephiroth.”

“Can you please stop saying his name?” Cloud asked, placing a hand to his forehead like the mere mention of the Silver-haired calamity gave him an instant migraine.

“Oh boo.” Yuffie yelled. “What is he? He who must not be named, our good Lord Sephiroth?”

“There's no new Sephiroth.” Tifa said sharply. “He's dead. If there was another one, he wouldn't be so furry. Or so moody.”

“Or so hot.” Yuffie said quietly, which was actually an average volume for a normal human being. She cast her glance over her shoulder back at Vincent, a devious smile playing on her face. Vincent blatantly looked away from her, took a step closer to Cloud, which Cloud found amusing. He couldn't tell if Vincent was already fed up with her or uncomfortable. Probably both.

“I guess I'm going to have to call a tow truck.” Cloud said, motioning towards Fenrir and then placing that same hand to his forehead. He really hated tow trucks and other people touching Fenrir. Almost as much as cross-dressing and chasing silver-haired psychopaths across the world.

Cloud walked over, hauling Fenrir into an upright position, nudging the kick stand so he could shove the bike off out of the way. She was rough after the Galians had collided into her, the paint scratched and the fender dented. One of the handlebars was crooked to the point Cloud was sure he would have to completely replace it.

Cloud left the bike by a tall patch of grass. There weren't very many travelers nowadays and they were already off the main path, but that didn't mean Cloud felt comfortable leaving his pride and joy just lying in an open field or the middle of the dirt road. Cloud sighed, tired and moody now. “A tow truck, or we walk back to Kalm and get a new tire.”

“What happened?” Yuffie asked, turning towards the bike with her hands on her hips. She waved a hand out, gesturing to the bike. “How did that happen?”

“Misfortune.” Vincent said quietly, turning away from the group. His voice was pinched slightly. Whatever they did, they needed to get back to Kalm so Cloud could sit the man down. They needed to clear up a few things. “We should head out while there's still light.” Vincent said, glancing towards the rock protrusion like Loki was going to jump out from behind it once again. Vincent's shoulders suddenly slumped, exhausted and wary. “We might have to spend the night in Kalm.”

“Yeah.” Cloud agreed, striding ahead of the group and making the executive decision that they were just going to have to walk. Tifa jogged to catch up to him, keeping pace as they began the hike back to Kalm. At least they were more than half way there.

“We might not make it back to Midgar in time to catch the plane.” Cloud said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. “Vincent, you're just going to have to put up with my shenanigans for a while.

“Sure.” Vincent said. He was only steps behind them apparently, voice close but footsteps silent.

“Plane?” Yuffie asked loudly, popping up beside Tifa. She glanced over her shoulder at Vincent suspiciously. “You were going to take him on a _plane?_ ”

“Yeah.” Cloud said. “We were going to tag along with Barret and the kids to go see Cid. Reeve has a job for him. Vincent needs a vacation.”

Tifa chuckled at the last part, moving closer to Cloud.

“A job about the Life stream?” Yuffie asked. She was skipping, arms waving around excitedly. “And the leak in that cave by Gold Saucer? Reeve's important dude in charge of the numbers-chart thing saw a spike in mako! The planet is leaking out of a cave. It's got Sephiroth written all over it, I'm sure of it! Why else would he send us?”

“Us? You know about the leak?” Cloud asked. “Did Reeve call you too?”

“Yeah, he sent me to meet up with you losers.” Yuffie said. “I was at Fort Condor when he called, taking care of _other_ really important business. Like watching the new Condor hatch. Did you hear? It's a baby girl and she's so pretty!” Yuffie yelled, hands slapping together in excitement. She squealed, for added effect or because her body physically could not contain her excitement.

“Anyway. Reeve said I might be able to catch up with you before you got back to Midgar because you were on some wild Cactuar chase to find a lost moody guy. Finding you lot was easy peasy for a girl like me.” Her eyes turned curiously Vincent, the man not even sparing her a glance as they walked. He was lagging behind, and once again Cloud wasn't sure if it was intentional or due to unspoken injuries. Cloud clicked his tongue. It looked like him and Vincent had some frustrating traits in common.

Yuffie suddenly skipped over to Vincent, keeping more than an arms length between them but matching his pace. “So what's your story?” Yuffie asked, straight forward as always. “Where'd they pick you up? In the slums? You look like a guy who came out of the slums, no offense.”

Vincent cast his gaze over to her. Head tilting slightly. He didn't look mad or anything by her questioning, but he did not respond. Merely stepped a little further away, walked a little faster. What an antisocial guy.

“Later.” Tifa said, motioning with her hand for Yuffie to return to her side. Yuffie huffed, complaining the entire way over as she came back to walk beside Tifa. Her complaints eventually broke into excited chatter, discussing what she had been up to for the past year. Visiting Wutai, doing errands for Reeve in regards to the welfare of the planet. Exciting stuff.

Cloud cast his glance over to Tifa when they exited the mountain path, noting the way her fists were still clench and the way she subtly glanced over her shoulder to match sure Vincent was still trailing behind like a lost puppy. He was lagging, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. Luckily, they could see Kalm in the distance, meaning they would all be sitting on a bed at the Inn soon. An hour and a half tops.

Cloud would make sure Tifa was alright, later, when they got back to Kalm. A quick look up to the sky told him that he could possibly deal with his bike before night fall, but they wouldn't be able to set out to Midgar until morning. Everything had been going so well, too, until the tire had blown out. Though Cloud considered briefly that Loki might have had something to do with it. Added it to the list of reasons why that Galian beast wasn't going to get whatever it was that he wanted from Vincent.

Which brought up Cloud's next question, one of the questions he was going to have to ask later. What did the Galian beast want from Vincent? Cloud was already prepared for Vincent to go to extreme lengths and avoid the question – he wasn't very open. About anything – but Tifa seemed to have a pretty good idea about what was going on. What the Galian beast wanted and why it kept coming back. Once Tifa had a pretty good idea, it was only a matter of time until the truth came out. Vincent wouldn't be able to avoid it.

Yuffie's excited chatter was enough to fill the silence and pass the time – that girl never seemed to run out of breath. While Vincent remained deathly silent behind them – like he knew what kind of confrontation he was willingly walking into – Tifa was moving herself closer to Cloud with every step. Clenched fists would occasionally brush up against his, her shoulders taut and that little line between her eyebrows never disappearing.

Cloud sighed. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly amiss.


End file.
